The Exchange
by theSilence
Summary: DM/HP. When Harry drinks a potion that he created with Neville Longbottom, he goes through a HUGE change. And in the process, he makes new friends, faces new challenges, and even falls in love.
1. Haley Jones

Author's Note: Before you get started, you should know that I began this story before the release of the fifth book so some inconsistencies apply, but aren't a big detriment to the story. So please, enjoy :)

The Exchange - Haley Jones

* * *

He could feel the headache already.

Professor Severus Snape shook his head knowing that in a few short moments, his most prized students, the seventh year Slytherins, were going to enter his classroom. The only problem was that his most detested students, the Gryffindors, were going to enter as well. Then there would be yelling, insulting, pranking, snickering, and even more yelling.

Yes. He could feel the headache already.

And at that moment, his favorite student by the name of Draco Malfoy stepped in with his two lackeys at his side. The blonde Slytherin greeted the professor and Snape nodded his greeting in return. As the trio took their seats, Pansy Parkinson stepped in, taking a seat behind Draco, the object of her affections, followed by Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom. In singles or in groups, the students began to pile in, the most famous trio of Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, stepping in last.

"All right, class. Today, we will be making the _Transpartium_ Potion in groups of two." Snape sneered. "I have already paired you off." Snape called off the pairs and after moments of groaning, the students reluctantly partnered off.

Harry sighed inwardly as he picked up his cauldron and sat down next to Neville. He greeted the boy and listened to Snape's instructions.

"When made correctly," the professor tossed a look at Longbottom who instantly paled. "The potion will transport its drinker just outside the room. Begin!"

Throughout the class, partners yelled at each other to get things cut properly and a number of insults were exchanged from Ron to Crabbe and vice versa.

Harry and Neville began cutting up the necessary ingredients, Neville having to stop several times to ask Harry what Snape had said.

'I really hope we get this right.' Harry thought to himself. 'Especially if I'm the one who has to drink it.' The Boy Who Lived didn't notice the fact that Neville, who was currently daydreaming about Ginny Weasley, was stirring the potion clockwise instead of counter-clockwise as Snape had directed. He also didn't spot Neville adding Wolfsbane rather than Dragon's Breath. And he also didn't see that Neville had minced rather than diced the Wiggin's Leaf.

Just before class ended, Snape called the pairs up one by one, picking one of the two to test the potion they had just created. So far, all partners had made it out of the room without much damage except for the fact that Seamus, who was paired off with Goyle, had made it out of the room without any clothes. The final pair was Harry and Neville.

"Potter, drink." Snape ordered.

Harry scooped some of the potion into a vial and stared at the strange silvery mixture. "Here goes." He murmured to himself before downing the potion in one quick gulp. He waited, but nothing happened. Again, Neville paled before looking up at the greasy professor who was currently sneering at the pair.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for a failed potion." Snape glared.

"Professor, that's not fair!" Hermione tried to argue.

"And another ten for your little outburst Granger. Would you like to make it twenty?" Hermione sank back into her seat, keeping her mouth shut. Snape shook his head and with a wave of his hand dismissed the class.

"That was a little odd." Harry said, when reaching his two best friends. "The potion didn't do a thing. If I turned purple, that would make more sense. This 'nothingness' is a little…uncomforting."

"Don't worry about it, mate. Would you rather have it change you into rat?" Ron said, reaching for his girlfriend's hand. Hermione willingly hung on.

The three were the last ones out the door when Harry felt a strange rumbling in his stomach.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione looked at her friend, worry evident in her eyes.

"I think that potion is kicking in…" Harry clutched his stomach before bending over. He felt his hair grow at an alarming rate while there was a strange pulling sensation in his chest. A minute after it had begun, it had stopped.

"Harry?" Ron stared at his friend in shock who was pointing at Harry's chest. Harry looked down to see two somewhat large breasts. His hair now fell down to the small of his back and something was _definitely_ missing from between his legs.

"What happened?!" Harry cried, hearing that his voice was an octave higher than his normal voice.

"Come on, Harry." Hermione grabbed Harry wrist and pulled what used to be a him back into Snape's classroom. Snape was currently at his desk marking up some papers. "Professor!" The head of Slytherin looked up and did a double take when his eyes landed on the 'new girl.' "Professor, the potion Harry drank turned him into…this." She said, waving her hand over Harry.

Snape couldn't help but snicker. What a precious day it was to see his least favorite student trapped in a form not his own.

"Professor, this is _no_ laughing matter!" Harry complained, only adding to Snape's snickering at the sound of the Harry's voice.

"Professor, _please_. Harry can't stay a girl!" Ron said.

Snape gained control of himself. "I can't say that I've seen this happen before, Potter. I doubt that _anyone_ in the wizarding world has seen this."

"You can't be serious." Harry paled. "I don't want to stay a girl."

Snape stood up from his desk. "You two," he motioned to Ron and Hermione, "Get to class. Tell your teacher that Mr. Potter will not be joining you. And as for you," he looked at the raven-haired girl. "Follow me. We shall see what Professor Dumbledore has to say."

They all went their prospective ways, Harry and the Potions Professor making their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Whachamacallit." Snape said, causing the eagle statue to move from its place as well as Harry's eyebrow to arch. The student and teacher went up the staircase and walked through the Headmaster's door. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk as if already expecting the pair to come.

"Professor Snape. How may I help you?" Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his ever-knowing eyes as he looked from the Potions Master to the young female standing next to him.

"It seems to me that we have a problem." Snape looked at Harry from the corner of his eye back to Dumbledore. "Mr. Potter here has taken a potion that has…transformed him, as you can see."

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah. Mr. Potter. Even after the Dark Lord's vanquished, you still seem to find trouble for yourself." Harry blushed and looked at her feet.

"I have never seen this take place, Albus. Perhaps, you have?"

"I'm afraid not, Severus. But I do believe that you as our Potions Master are skilled enough to bring Mr. Potter back to normal?" Snape merely nodded.

"But sir," Harry interrupted. "What do I do until then? I don't want to go around Hogwarts being a girl."

"We don't seem to have a choice, Harry. But, to save you some embarrassment, we can make a new identity for you."

Harry tossed a puzzled look towards the Headmaster.

"Instead of Harry Potter, you shall be someone else. Make sure to cover your scar to make it convincing. If done correctly and carefully, your peers might not realize who you truly are. But your teachers will have to know of course, for the sake of your classes."

"Where will I sleep? A girl can't stay in the boys' dorms and I don't think I should be able to stay in the girls' dorms."

"You will have to be somewhere where Severus can keep an eye on you."

"You don't mean-" Snape started.

"Yes, Severus. Harry, as a girl, will be a Slytherin." Harry's jaw dropped and even Snape couldn't control his shock. "If Harry is in Slytherin, you can keep a sharp watch on him without causing too much suspicion. If any other house member were to enter the Slytherin common room, I doubt the result would be appealing."

"But-but, sir! Slytherin?!" Harry sputtered.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. A Gryffindor through and through. Only until Severus can find an antidote to the concoction made in your class." Harry sighed, seeing no way around it. "Severus, make sure Mr. Potter has his own room as to not inconvenience the boys or girls in the seventh year dormitories. And see to it that he has his own robes and new uniforms."

Harry started at the phrase 'new uniforms'. "Sir? I'm going to have to wear a-a-"

Dumbledore nodded. "Suspicion shall arise if you do not."

Snape smirked, knowingly. What a precious day it was indeed. He looked down at the distraught girl. "So Potter. What size skirt shall I get for you?"

Harry glared at her professor. Her whole world was turning upside down. She was going to be a girl for who knows how long, she has to wear a _girl's_ uniform, and to make matters worse, she has to live with the people who most despise her, the Slytherins. 'Could this day get any worse?'

"All right, Severus, please show Mr. Potter where he shall be staying. Mr. Potter, your belongings will be moved to your new room. If either of you need anymore assistance, I'll be here."

Snape gave a short nod to the Headmaster before turning on his heel back down the steps.

"Oh wait! Professor Dumbledore!" Harry said, a problem coming to her mind.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Won't the others think it strange that I'm gone and some girl is in my place?"

The twinkle in the Headmaster's eye was even more evident at this question. "Don't worry about it, Mr. Potter. I'll take care of that particular problem."

"Come along, Potter." Snape sneered from the doorway.

Harry looked from the Potions Master to the Headmaster and back again. "Right then. Good day, Professor."

"Good day, Mr. Potter."

And with that, Harry stepped out of the office and onto the staircase. 'Good day in deed.'

"Hurry along, Potter." Snape took long strides down several corridors towards the dungeons. He came to a stop at a bare stone wall. "_Subtilis._" The wall split to reveal the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "Remember that password, Potter. I will not repeat it for you. And if I see you stuck outside, I _will_ leave you there." He said all this without looking at the seventeen year old.

Harry continued to follow the head of Slytherin into the man's personal quarters. The door from the common room led them into a separate living quarter where numerous ingredients were held along the walls. On the right side of the room held a work station, obviously for Snape's personal concoctions. To the left was a desk with piles of parchment on them. At the far end of the room was another door, most likely for Snape's bed and such. Snape walked to his desk and pulled out a key from one of the drawers.

"There are two locked rooms across from this room. The room to your right is yours. They're for the Head Boy or Head Girl, if one is chosen from Slytherin. As you should know, that means the room on the left is taken. Remember that. I don't want our Head Boy complaining to me that you've been trying to break into his room."

Harry rolled her eyes, remembering that Draco Malfoy was chosen to be Head Boy this year. That would mean she'd be sleeping one room away from her now number one enemy.

"Since Miss Granger is obviously _not_ in Slytherin, thank goodness, the other room is yours."

"Why do I need a key? Why can't I just use magic if I need to lock it?" Harry just stared at the key in the professor's hand.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Remember what house you're in, Potter. Slytherins aren't known for being celibate. They could remove the locking spell with a wave of their wands if need be." Harry instantly flushed before snatching the key from Snape's hand. "Go change. It's absolutely horrid seeing Gryffindor robes in the home of the Slytherin."

Harry glared at the man before leaving to go to her own room. Harry unlocked the door and was greeted by green and silver tapestries on every wall. The bed was queen size much nicer than the usual twin size in normal dorms. The cherry oak, four-post bed had green sheets of satin and the pillows were a mixture of silver, green, and white. Her trunk was already at the foot of her bed and a whole new set of girls' uniform as well as Slytherin robes were hanging in the wardrobe on his right. In the furthest right corner was a door, presumably to her own bathroom while a desk with more of Harry's things on top of it was located to her left. The stone walls, ceiling, and floor, made the room seem colder.

'Perfect for a Slytherin.' Harry scoffed. She walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a uniform. The actual thought of having to wear a skirt sent shivers down her spine. But, having no real choice in the matter, defeated, Harry began to undress to redress herself into girls' clothing. She absolutely refused to wear anything but his boxer underneath. She struggled a bit with the bra, not really understanding how girls did this all the time.

When redressed, Harry walked into the bathroom and looked into the full-length mirror. If she hadn't known any better, she wouldn't have recognized herself. Her usually messy hair looked great when long. It seemed that the longer her hair was, the tamer it was. Her female instincts took over for a second as she grabbed a comb and parted her hair on one side to cover the side of her forehead where the telltale scar lay. Happy with the result, Harry squeaked, though she would never admit that to anyone. She turned to the side and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She switched sides and repeated the action.

'Not bad.' Harry thought, before mentally slapping herself. 'No, I will not check myself out. No. Never.' At that thought, Harry left the bathroom and her room and crossed the common room to Snape's room. She knocked on the door and after hearing "What?!" from Snape, she entered.

The Potions Master almost burst out with laughter at the sight of Harry only because of the thought that it was in fact Harry underneath the girl's form. But to keep his reputation, he merely sneered. "May I help you?"

"I was wondering about my classes. Do I take them as I usually do or does that have to change as well?" Harry asked, feeling self-conscious and tugging the bottom of her skirt to make it somewhat lower.

Snape thought about this for a bit. "Well, we can't have a Slytherin hopping around with the Gryffindors so you'll have to rearrange your classes to have them with your 'peers'."

Harry sighed.

"Also, you'll have to eat with them as well. Can't have a Slytherin at the Gryffindor's table, now can we?" Snape said, obviously having fun with changing the Gryffindor-at-heart into a have-to-be-Slytherin. "And another thing, about your friends."

"No." Harry shook her head, her hair flying about her. "I will give up my Gryffindor room. I will give up my Gryffindor robes. I will even leave my seat at the Gryffindor table, but I will absolutely not give up my Gryffindor friends!"

Snape was about to retort when a knock came upon his door.

"What?" Snape barked.

A blonde head poked into the doorway looking from the Potions Master to the emerald-eyed girl. "Sorry, professor. Am I interrupting something?"

"No, Mr. Malfoy. May I help you with something?" Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, sir," Malfoy stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He looked timidly at the girl then back at the professor. "I did some thinking during my Arithmancy class."

"As if you're not supposed to think in _Arithmancy_..." Harry murmured.

Draco and Snape both heard the comment earning a glare from Snape and a look of puzzlement from Malfoy. "Continue, Mr. Malfoy." Snape sneered at the girl.

"Well, I was thinking about that potion Potter drank." Harry started at the mention of her name. That was the last thing she expected. "It seems a bit…off…that nothing happened. Don't you think so?"

"How are you so sure that something _didn't_ happen, Mr. Malfoy? Right at this moment, Mr. Potter could be in the hospital wing coughing up spiders."

Draco's eyes widened with what? Shock? Worry? Harry couldn't tell for as soon as it had come, it had vanished after Draco tossed a look at her again.

"W-What-" Draco started.

"Mr. Malfoy, I assure you, you need not worry about Mr. Potter. He's a big boy." Snape looked at Harry in the corner of his eye and emphasized the word 'boy.' "He can take care of himself."

Draco seemed to straighten up and scoffed. "Why would I worry about, Potter? I was merely thinking about the potion." Draco drawled.

Harry rolled her eyes. 'Of course. He's probably going to figure out how to make that potion and slip it into my pumpkin juice…'

"That's all I wanted to say, professor." Draco turned to leave the room but the Potions Master called him back.

"Mr. Malfoy, I need to ask you a favor."

"Yes, sir?" Draco cocked a blonde brow.

"This is a new student." Snape said, turning to Harry.

Harry instantly straightened up. She kept a confident gaze even as she was thinking that her skirt felt way too short. It fell just above her knees.

"Her name is…Haley. Haley Jones." Snape smirked.

_Haley_ felt like cursing the teacher but instead kept her emotions to herself. She would have liked to pick the name out herself if she had to live with it.

Draco strode over to the girl and outstretched his hand. "Nice to meet you, Haley."

Haley cocked an eyebrow at the blonde before taking his hand and shaking it. "Charmed, I'm sure."

"Draco, I need you to watch her while she's here."

"What?!" Haley dropped Draco's hand and stared at Snape.

"You heard me, Miss Jones." Snape smirked.

"But, sir! I do _not_ need a chaperone!"

"Miss Jones. As a _new student_ in Hogwarts, you _will_ need someone to show you around."

"Excuse me, Professor, but you said you wanted me to watch her the whole time. Why the whole time if I just have to show her around?"

"You know very well why Mr. Malfoy." Snape tossed Draco a look that Haley didn't comprehend.

Slowly, Draco nodded. He looked from the girl back to the Professor. "All right. As you wish."

"Professor Snape, I hardly think it's necessary-"

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, completely ignoring Haley. "I do believe it's time to head over to the Great Hall."

"Right." The boy nodded. "Come along, Haley."

"_Professor Snape-_" Haley glared at the teacher.

"I said 'Come along, Haley.'" Draco said, sternly. He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her out of the room.

As soon as they were out of Snape's room, Haley snatched back her wrist from Draco's grasp. Draco stopped in his path and turned to look at the girl who was really beginning to annoy him.

"I said," Haley looked at Draco defiantly. "I _don't_ need a chaperone." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blonde boy.

"And _I_ said that I would watch you." Draco countered, taking up the same pose as Harry.

Haley, with a toss of her raven hair, stamped out of the common room with Draco trailing right behind him.

"What's your problem, anyway?" Draco asked, walking alongside the girl. "I'm just following orders."

"And I thought all Slytherins had minds of their own." Emerald eyes tossed a look at Draco.

Draco threw up his hands in defeat. "My God, you're exasperating. Why are you even here?"

Haley's mind was blank. If she came up with a story and Snape told Draco a whole other story she'd be screwed. Haley remained silent. It worked for Draco merely groaned believing that Haley was just ignoring him.

They soon reached the Great Hall. They stepped through the doors where most of the students were already seated for dinner. Just as Haley was about to turn to sit with the Gryffindors, she felt Draco grab her wrist and yank her towards the Slytherin table.

Again, Haley snatched her hand out of Draco's grasp and glared at the boy. Draco only glared in return. Draco sat with Crabbe and Goyle to his left, Pansy in front of him, and Haley far off to the right of him, sitting at the very end of the table.

'Why do I always end up in these types of messes?' Haley asked herself. 'Of all things to happen, I have to be a girl.' Haley rested her head on her hand and pouted.

"Look, Draco-sweetie." Pansy cooed, looking over her shoulder then back at the silver-eyed boy. Harry saw Draco flinch at the pet name. "Potty-brain isn't here. Maybe something really _did_ happen to him." Pansy giggled not noticing as Haley glared her.

"Maybe that potion gave him rabbit ears or whiskers!" Crabbe laughed.

"Or maybe he changed into a toad!" Goyle joined in.

Draco didn't say anything. He would have looked very nonchalant if he weren't searching with his eyes only for The Boy Who Lived.

'Why does he care? Maybe he was planning to throw something at me. Or maybe he was planning to embarrass me somehow.' The sound of Professor Dumblebore clearing his throat snapped Haley out of her thoughts.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I have some exciting news for you, tonight. As some of you have noticed, Mr. Potter is missing from the room."

Haley's eyes bulged. 'What is he doing!? We're supposed to keep this under wraps!' She couldn't help but feel a little panic as people who didn't notice before, now noticed as they searched for the Golden Boy.

"This is for the reason that he and an exchange student have switched places." If Haley was surprised before, she was damned shocked now. "Mr. Potter has been switched to Whittenton's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America and in his place is Miss Haley Jones who has been placed into the Slytherin House."

Haley flushed as she felt everyone's eyes watching her. She tried to look as if she didn't care but the red on her face told people otherwise.

"Miss Jones grew up in London, before moving to America when she was seven. Please, everyone, give Miss Jones a nice welcome while she's here. Especially you seventh years for you may share a class with her."

The room was filled with applause, especially from the Slytherins who were glad that the new kid was with them and not with anyone else. Again, Haley felt the blush creep up.

"And now, may everyone enjoy their meal." With a clap of his hands, the food magically appeared in front of the students and everyone turned their attention from Haley to their empty stomachs.

"America, huh? What's it like there?" Pansy asked, taking a sudden interest in the girl sitting next to Draco.

"Erm…" Haley's mind was blank again. How on Earth was she supposed to know? She'd never been there.

"What, are you stupid or something?" Pansy sneered. She obviously didn't like it when people didn't answer her. Haley glared at her again but before she could scratch her eyes out, some mashed potatoes ended up on Pansy's cheek.

Harry looked to his left and saw Draco holding up his potato covered spoon, lazily.

"Honestly, Parkinson. You'd think you'd have manners knowing where you come from." Crabbe and Goyle began laughing hysterically at the reddening Pansy. Pansy, angry from being humiliated, glared from Draco to Haley back to Draco who seemed as if he could care less. She stamped her foot before storming out of the room.

Harry stared at Draco. The blonde had humor in his eyes and also…sadness? Harry shook his head. 'Who wouldn't be sad? I would be sad too if I only hit her with some mashed potatoes. I would have gone with the chicken wing.'

Draco turned his gaze to the girl, but didn't say anything.

"Er…thanks." Haley offered the boy a small smile before returning her attention to her stomach. She didn't see Draco's small smile in return before he too returned his attention to his neglected potatoes.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters. Course not.

Whachamacallit is a chocolate bar. Or was. I don't know if they still make it. Any questions that refer to the defeat of the Dark Lord or to Lucius Malfoy and such will be answered in further chapters. Questions or comments, please review! 


	2. Slytherins and Gryffindors

The Exchange

* * *

After her meal, Haley got up, not waiting for Draco to finish. Draco, determined to do his favor for Snape in flying colors, swallowed his food before rushing up to Haley. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, angrily, grabbing her wrist again.

And again, Haley pulled her wrist out of the blonde's grasp. "What's it to you?"

"I'm _supposed_ to watch you." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then _watch_. Don't _follow_." Haley turned again and walked over to the Gryffindor table.

Draco groaned before walking over to Professor Snape.

Haley was searching for the familiar red hair and frizzy brown hair. She spotted her two best friends sitting across from Ginny, Seamus and Dean. Seamus was the first to spot the girl and he stood up and held out a hand.

"Hello, there, Haley. The name's Seamus Finnigan. Welcome to the Gryffindor table. To my right is Miss Ginny Weasley and to my left is Dean Thomas. The red head next to you is Ron Weasley and next to him is his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, Head Girl." Everyone turned to look at the girl. Ron nearly burst into laughter at the sight of his best friend looking entirely like a girl but stopped himself when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

Haley shook Seamus's hand and smiled. "Hello, Seamus. Pleased to meet you, all." She said looking each and every one of them in the eye.

"So Haley, what brings a Slytherin to the Gryffindor table? Don't you know that you're supposed to despise us?" Seamus asked.

"Seamus! Don't start a quarrel between Haley and the Gryffindors. She's new!" Ginny poked the Irish boy in the arm.

"Oh, I know all about the quarrel between the two houses." Haley smiled and took a seat next to Ron. "You lot seem more intelligent to converse with, though."

"You've got that right!" Ron laughed as well as the others. Hermione gave Haley a disapproving look.

"Haley, do you think we could go talk somewhere?" Hermione said. It wasn't a question, more like a command.

Haley nodded and followed Hermione as well as Ron.

"Bye Haley! It was nice meeting you!" Seamus called. Haley turned and waved at the three left at the table.

Once outside the Great Hall Hermione spun around to face Haley. "Harry! You're supposed to be Slytherin. Take pride in your house!"

"I do!" The girl countered. "I'm very proud of being a _Gryffindor_! My true house."

"Harry, mate. I think Hermione's just trying to say that you shouldn't back talk where you're staying. I mean, the situation you're in is a little complicated and if the Slytherins hear that you've insulted them, things'll look a lot worse."

"Exactly!" Hermione said. "That's why you need to take pride in the house you're in right now. The Slytherins hate Harry Potter, they don't need to hate Haley Jones, which, by the way, I think, is the cutest name and suits you very well." She said this all in one breath.

"I didn't get to choose my name." Haley pouted. "Snape chose it."

"Blimey!" Ron laughed. "Good taste in names, that man has!"

"You've thought about it, haven't you?" Hermione asked, her question confirmed when Haley blushed. "What _would_ you have named yourself?"

"I _do_ like the name Rachel…"

Ron placed a hand on Haley's shoulder. "Stick to Haley, mate. You don't look like a Rachel." At this, Ron laughed again.

Haley just blew a raspberry at the red head. "Anyway, they've given me my own room and new clothes. The only problem is that Snape decided to make Malfoy my personal guardian."

"Malfoy? Why him? What do you need a guardian for?" Hermione asked, Ron's laughter ceased.

"I don't know. I mean, Snape knows I can take care of myself. I don't know _what_ his problem is. And I don't think Malfoy's going to leave me alone anytime soon."

"There you are!" came the voice that could only be Malfoy's.

Haley groaned. "See what I mean…" she murmured before turning around.

"Why did you leave? Why didn't you tell me? You _know_ I'm supposed to be watching you." Draco said, crossly, placing his hands on his hips.

"I _know_. You remind me every five seconds." Haley retorted.

"Then why can't you comprehend that little matter?" Malfoy countered, obviously getting angrier.

"Okay, okay!" Hermione called their attention away from each other.

Draco looked at the Gryffindors, seeing them for the first time. "Granger, Weasel?" He looked back at Haley. "You were with _them_?"

"Is that a problem?" Ron glared.

But before Draco could respond, Hermione stepped in front of her boyfriend. "Malfoy, Haley can speak with whomever she wants."

"Fine by me, Granger, as long as I know where she is." He tossed a glared at the raven-haired girl who glared at him in return.

"All right then." Hermione said, acting as the mediator. "Haley can do as she wants as long as Malfoy knows. Deal."

"Does that include going to the lavatory?" Haley rolled her eyes. If glares could kill, Haley would have been six feet under at the look she was getting from Draco.

"As long as Malfoy _knows_." Hermione repeated directly at Haley, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'accept what you can.'

"Fine, fine." Haley sighed. "Well, _Malfoy_, so that you _know_, I'm going to the bathroom. Care to join me?" She said, sarcastically.

"Why, Jones? Do you need me to wipe your arse for you?" Malfoy growled.

"Enough!" Hermione shook her head. "Haley, go. Malfoy, just wait a moment."

Haley rolled her eyes and went off on her own way.

"Malfoy, why do you have to watch Haley, anyway?" Ron sneered.

"What's it to you, Weasel?"

"Can you stop? We're nearly adults. Show some maturity." She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest. "Snape asked me to. Simple as that."

"But why?" Hermione asked.

Draco sighed, exasperated. "There's much about what happens in the Slytherin house that you can't read in books, Granger."

Hermione was just about to ask 'like what?' but she was cut off by the sound of Haley screaming.

-

Haley was getting tired of Malfoy following her around. It had only been a few hours and seemed like everywhere she went, there he was. 'Sure, it was nice and pretty funny of him to stick up for me against Pansy but is it really necessary for him to watch my every move?' Haley asked herself. After finishing up in the restroom, Haley was just about to return to where she left her friends and one 'guardian' when and hand touched her shoulder.

Haley screamed at the sudden contact, turning to see Dean Thomas standing there, his hands up to show the girl that he wasn't going to hurt her.

"Haley! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you." Dean apologized.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for screaming at you. You scared me." Haley smiled. "Can I do something for you."

"No. I just wanted you to know that I'm from America too. Ten years there can get you accustomed to their ways, eh?"

Haley merely nodded.

"So where do you live?"

"Erm…California…" Haley said a little hesitantly.

"Really? I went there once during the summer holidays. Lovely place, eh?"

"Lovely."

Dean cocked an eyebrow. "Where in California?"

"Ummm, San Francisco."

"Cool. What do you think of the Golden Gate bridge?" Dean asked.

"It's beautiful." Haley smiled a bit awkwardly. She had only really seen a picture of the structure a long time ago out of one of her old school books. Even then, it was colored over with markers, courtesy of Dudley.

"Don't you think it's weird how it's called the '_Golden_ Gate Bridge' when it looks kinda orange?"

"It is?" Haley slipped. She paused for a moment, thinking of a way to cover it up. "Errr…yeah it is." She smiled. "Definitely weird calling it gold. It should be the Orange Gate Bridge." She laughed, again, awkwardly.

Just then, she spotted a questioning look in Dean's eyes. She was just about to ask 'what?' but was interrupted when Draco, Ron and Hermione ran up to them.

"Haley! What happened?" Draco asked first.

"We heard you scream." Ron added.

"Oh." She blushed. "Dean here just startled me." The three groaned.

"Right." Dean smiled. "Well, Haley, if you ever find you need someone to talk 'American' with, don't hesitate to find me." And with that, Dean went off to go search for Seamus.

"This is why you need a _chaperone_!" Draco yelled at the girl. "What if something happened to you? What if it weren't Thomas but someone with cruel intentions? You're _my_ responsibility and I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you!"

Haley stared at Draco who was currently steaming with rage. "Excuse _me_, Malfoy, but you could have said _NO_ to Snape's request."

"You don't get it, do you Jones? You're new here, you're in _Slytherin_, and you're a very attr-" Draco caught himself before finishing his sentence. He ran his hand through his platinum locks. "There are things that you might not be able to handle alone." He finished.

"I do believe that I am capable of taking care of myself thank you very much, so sod off!" Haley spun around and headed towards the Slytherin common room. Draco followed her, leaving a very startled pair of Gryffindors.

'What is his problem? Why can't he just leave me alone!' Haley thought to herself, hearing Malfoy's footsteps behind her. When she reached the entrance to the common room, she muttered the password and without stopping she hurried to her room. As she reached to insert the key into the lock, Draco grabbed her wrist and forced her to face him. Being much weaker than he in a girl's body, Haley couldn't put up much resistance. "What!" she barked.

"Just because you're new here doesn't mean you can treat me like I'm scum. I _am_ Head Boy and I will _not_ hesitate to give you a detention." Draco growled.

"If you do, _then_ will you leave me alone!" Haley growled in return.

"Argh!" Draco threw his hands up in the air. "You know, having _you_ here makes Potter's prancing about tolerable!"

"I do not-" Haley started but caught herself in time.

"What _is_ your problem! I've done _nothing_ to you to treat me this way!"

'He's right you know…' Haley stopped and looked at her shoes. 'As Haley, he's done nothing seriously wrong to you.'

Again, Draco threw his hands up, thinking Haley's silence to be defiance again. "Screw the favor! You're on your own, Jones! Don't come crying to me if you get hurt!" And with that, Draco turned to his own room, unlocked it, and slammed the door shut.

Haley turned back to her own room, feeling guilty. 'Didn't I get what I wanted? He's agreed to leave me alone, right? I should be happy…but why, then, do I feel so bad?' She walked into her room, locked the door and plopped onto her bed, thinking nothing more about the potion that caused this all to happen or the hurt in Draco's eyes as he left her at her door.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I'd like to thank the wonderful J.K. Rowlings for creating the characters of Harry Potter.

Okay. Since there ARE redwood trees in San Francisco when I was unsure if there were, which is my fault for not looking it up, I switched it from redwood trees to the color of the golden gate bridge. I don't think it's actually colored gold, but more of a rusty orange-red color. But that doesn't make it any less fabulous. And oh my gosh, please don't tell me that the Golden Gate Bridge _isn't_ in San Francisco. I'd cry. Okay, maybe not, but I am 102 percent positive that it's there. I have pictures. And Dean's a little curious at this point about Haley's true origins but not 100 percent positive. Yeah. And...um...poor poor Draco. He has to put up with so much. Especially when I gain control of this little situation. insert evil grin here

Next Chapter: What does Haley do with the guilt she's feeling? And what happens when she's got no friends with her in class? Who is Ethan Maxwell?...


	3. Reconstruction then Destruction

The Exchange  


* * *

  
  
The next morning, Haley still felt bad about treating Malfoy the way she did. 'But if I _weren't_ Haley, he'd still be the nauseating prick I'm used to…But at the moment, I _am_ Haley who Malfoy's done nothing to…' It was right there and then, just outside the Slytherin common room that Haley decided to try again with Malfoy. 'If I can't be friends with Malfoy as Harry then I should at least try to be his friend as Haley.' And with this in mind, Haley hurried to the Great Hall, hoping that Draco was there already.   
  
And he was. With Crabbe to his left, Goyle in front of him and with no sign of Pansy anywhere. Haley strode over to where Draco was sitting, planning to take the seat next to the blonde boy. That is until Pansy shoved Haley out of the way and took the seat for herself. Haley stumbled backward, her mouth agape and staring at Pansy who smirked maliciously over her shoulder at the new girl.   
  
When Pansy latched herself onto Draco's arm and began nuzzling it, Draco turned to sneer at the girl and yell at her to 'sod off' when he gaze caught sight of Haley. If Draco wasn't surprised to see the Haley standing there, he was without a doubt surprised to see the look in her eyes when their gazes met. Within the pools of jade, Draco saw shock, anger, sadness, and what surprised him the most: guilt. Before the blonde could say anything, Haley dropped her gaze to her shoes and walked away.   
  
'Stupid Pansy. I should hex her…' Haley thought. She was about to walk back out of the Great Hall when she bumped into Professor Snape.   
  
"Miss Jones." Snape drawled. "I was searching for you."   
  
"Well here I am." Haley replied, feeling deflated.   
  
Snape cocked an eyebrow before handing the girl a piece of parchment. "Your new schedule. You'll undoubtedly be pleased to see you still share classes with your…other…half." And with that, Snape made his way over to the professors' table.   
  
Haley looked over the parchment to see that she did in fact still have Potions and Care of Magical Creatures the same time she usually did. Her Transfiguration and Divination classes as well as Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes switched places. Haley sighed and slowly made her way to her first class of Defense Against the Dark Arts.   
  
The class went by slowly. Their new professor, Professor DeMoins, was teaching them how to cast a Patronus, something Haley already knew how to do from her third year. Professor DeMoins split the students up into pairs to practice, Haley ending up with Malfoy.   
  
"Listen Malfoy," Haley said when everyone else was distracted with their own spells. He just looked at her lazily with his stormy gray eyes. Eyes that Haley couldn't seem to look into. Instead, she looked down at her feet. "I-I apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I was…being a…"   
  
"An arse." Draco said for her. She took a small step back from the boy. "A pain in _my_ arse? An annoying, ungrateful git?" Haley only dropped her head lower. Draco sighed. "And so was I."   
  
Haley's head shot up in surprise to see Draco smirking although his eyes were filled with sincerity. "I was rather…pesky about watching you. When I got into my room, I thought about your situation. A new girl in a new school, meeting new people…add a pesky guardian and I'd be angry as well."   
  
Haley smiled. "Well, I feel…bad about being uptight with you. You _haven't_ done anything to me worth my actions…"   
  
"A truce, then?" Draco stepped forward, his hand stretched out to her again. "I'll try not to be so bothersome if you try not to be such a pain?" He smirked again.   
  
Haley smirked in return. "Deal."   
  
And after getting yelled at by Professor DeMoins for not doing what they're supposed to, Haley smirked again as she set her stag-shaped patronus at a stunned Malfoy for a second time in her years at Hogwarts.   
  
* * *   
  
"'Ello, 'aley!" Hagrid greeted the girl as she walked over to the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She had walked off before Draco did who had decided to wait for Crabbe and Goyle who ended up stunning one another instead of casting the patronus.   
  
"Hello, Hagrid." Haley smiled at the gentle giant.   
  
"Heard you was havin' some changes!" Hagrid laughed. "Hope the Slytherins aren't causing you too much trouble, are they?"   
  
"No, they're actually tolerable. For the moment."   
  
"Haley!" Seamus smiled, hooking his arm around the girl's neck. "How's my favorite American?"   
  
Dean tossed a look at Seamus as if to say 'what about me?'   
  
Haley cleared her throat and nodded towards Dean. Seamus grinned before wrapping his other arm around Dean's neck. "Well, after Dean of course! No one could ever come before my best mate!" Dean rolled his eyes.   
  
"I'm fine, thank you. And how are you this morning, Seamus?"   
  
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!"   
  
Haley couldn't help but smile at her friend's exuberance.   
  
"Hello, Haley." Hermione greeted, walking up to her friends with Ron at her side.   
  
"Morning, Hermione." Haley greeted in return.   
  
"Well, looky here." Came Pansy's voice from behind the friends. "Aren't _you_ a disgrace to the name Slytherin? Surrounding yourself with measly Gryffindors. Tsk, tsk."   
  
Haley could feel the tension rising off of the Gryffindors. She was sure that one of them was going to attack the pug-faced girl. And if they didn't _she_ would have.   
  
"Parkinson, is there _always_ something up your arse or are you _always_ a pain?" Came Draco's drawl from behind the girl.   
  
Pansy instantly flushed and spun around to look at the blonde. "Drakie, baby, just look at her. You'd think she thinks she's better than us the way she acts."   
  
Draco rolled his eyes. "It's a free world. Let the girl do what she wants." He said with a wave of his hand. Crabbe and Goyle snickered at his sides when Pansy's mouth began moving as if she were a fish. Pansy turned red with anger and was about ready to curse everyone when Hagrid announced the beginning of class.   
  
Haley walked over to Draco's side. "Thanks. Again." She whispered into the boy's ear.   
  
"No problem. Just remember it when one of your Gryffindor friends decide to attack _me_."   
  
Haley smiled before returning her attention back to Hagrid.   
  
* * *   
  
The rest of her day was spent in ease, having no more problems with Pansy who resorted into glaring at the girl rather than saying anything. Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws and Herbology with Hufflepuffs flew by like a breeze. During lunch, Haley didn't pay any attention to anyone or anything other than her stomach and food from having skipped breakfast. Potions class wasn't much of a problem for all they did was learn the key ingredients in the _Hydrengia_ potion, a potion used to re-hydrate a person, usually a muggle, lost in the desert. That's why many muggles have hallucinations under the scorching sand, believing the witch or wizard that appears to be some fairy-god-person or something of the sort.   
  
In her last class of the day, Divination, Haley found herself alone since Draco had Arithmancy instead and since the Gryffindors already had the class. She searched either side of the room for someone she could sit with but then was distracted by a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see two boys looking at her, one with sandy blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, the other with black hair and hazel eyes. Both were in Slytherin.   
  
"Hello," the blonde said. "My name's Blaise Zabini. He's Ethan Maxwell." Blaise said motioning to the other boy. "You can sit with us if you want."   
  
"Um, thanks." Haley smiled. She followed the boys to their seats, taking the seat next to the aisle and Blaise.   
  
"Ethan doesn't talk much. Only if a professor calls on him."   
  
Haley looked around Blaise at Ethan. He didn't seem to care that his friend was talking about him. "Oh." Was the only thing she thought to say.   
  
Blaise chuckled. "I noticed that you were always with Draco or around him in the other classes." He said bringing his voice down so that only Haley could hear him. "Since he doesn't have this class, I thought I should step in."   
  
"Um, thanks."   
  
"I've been best friends with Drake since forever. Nearly grew up together."   
  
Haley looked at Blaise, cocking at eyebrow. "Really? I've never seen you two together." Though Blaise might have thought since yesterday, Haley meant ever. Not once had she seen them together while at Hogwarts.   
  
"You don't have to be near someone all the time to be best friends, Haley. It's like…just because you're in Slytherin doesn't mean that you have to hate the Gryffindors, eh? Or at least, you don't seem to have a problem with them." Haley smiled. "Good. Neither do I."   
  
Just then, Professor Trelawny stepped in, making an effort to have her robes billow around her feet. She made a dramatic stop next to Haley. "Miss Jones. I sensed that your presence would appear soon. I knew that you would come." She pressed her forefinger to her forehead. "As I now know your inevitable fate. My dear Miss Jones, beware the number seven! If you do not, you will suffer a most disastrous death! My poor, poor girl!" And with a dramatic sigh, Professor Trelawny floated to the front of the classroom to proceed with her lesson.   
  
Haley rolled her eyes and upon hearing Blaise's chuckling again, she turned to face him. "This is why I love this class. That woman is a funny one, isn't she? Can't believe her for a second. In fact, just the other day, she predicted that I would dislocate my shoulder the next time I ate a baked potato. I've been eating baked potatoes ever since."   
  
Haley giggled. For some odd reason, she couldn't help but trust the boy. 'Guess I was wrong about the Slytherins. Well, about some. I still think Pansy's a pain in the arse.'   
  
* * *   
  
Once class had ended, Blaise, Ethan, and Haley all made their way back to the common room.   
  
"Excuse me." Ethan said, as he made his way to the boys' dormitories.   
  
"Wow. That's the first thing I've ever heard him say." Haley giggled.   
  
"I told you he doesn't talk much. But after a while, he opens up a bit. Give him time to get to know you and I'm sure he'll say more than two words." Blaise plopped onto one of the couches in the common room.   
  
Haley sat down in front of the blonde and sighed, knowing all the homework she had to do for the night. It wouldn't be so easy since she couldn't bother to ask Hermione for help. 'Maybe I could ask Draco for help…he _is_ head boy…' She looked up at Blaise who was currently staring at the ceiling.   
  
"What?" He asked, sensing her gaze on him.   
  
"Nothing." Haley flushed and looked at her hands in her lap.   
  
Blaise looked at the girl and smiled. "Liar. Bet you're wondering about me and Draco."   
  
Haley thought about it. "Actually...yeah. You claim to be best friends but I have not even had the slightest hint of your friendship. I mean, I know you said 'friends don't always have to be around each other' but he doesn't say much about you at all."   
  
Blaise chuckled. "How you do go on."   
  
Haley flushed. "I'm sorry. I just-"   
  
"No apologies. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I guess you noticed in the 25 hours that you've been here that I don't follow Draco like those other three."   
  
Haley looked at her hands. "Well...yes."   
  
"I don't like those three. They're awfully nasty. Mumbo and Jumbo were raised that way but Pansy has no real excuse. I suppose it's only because she likes Draco. I can't stand them a bit. No intelligent conversation can ever be risen from any of them. It makes me a bit sad of Drake that he has to put up with them."   
  
"So they aren't friends?"   
  
"I'm not quite sure about that. But I do know that it wasn't Draco's choice to have them around. Crabbe and Goyle Senior used to always follow Draco's father so they forced their children to follow Draco. And Draco was forced to accept them as his lackeys. But maybe as time went on, they did become friends."   
  
Ethan came back from where ever it was that he decided to go and took a seat to the left of Haley.   
  
"No, no, no, _no!_"   
  
The three Slytherins turned to look at the source of the voice who was currently approaching them.   
  
Draco looked at each of them, anger evident in his eyes. He stood in front of Haley. "What in Merlin's sake do you think you're doing with _him?_" He growled pointing to someone behind him.   
  
"Draco, he's your friend." Haley countered, slowly growing angry with the Head Boy.   
  
Draco looked over his shoulder. "Not him, _him!_" He pointed at Ethan who was simply lounging in his chair, not really caring about what Draco was saying. "Stay away from him."   
  
Haley jumped up out of her seat and glared up at Draco. "Don't tell me what to do."   
  
The blonde boy snatched Haley's wrist and pulled her away from the other two. Haley looked back at Blaise who shook his head as if to say 'I don't know what's so wrong.'   
  
He pulled her outside of the common room, out into the hall. "Do _not_ linger around Ethan Maxwell, _ever_."   
  
Haley snatched her hand back green eyes now felly ablaze with anger. Sure, she and Ethan weren't exactly friends but _no_ one bosses her around especially about who she could and could not be friends with. "I thought we came to an agreement where you don't nose into my business anymore."   
  
"When it comes to Maxwell, it's a different story."   
  
"And why's that?"   
  
Draco blew out a frustrated sigh. "Just _trust_ me on this, Haley."   
  
"Your friend Blaise doesn't seem to have a problem with Ethan. Why don't you tell _him_ to get away from Ethan?"   
  
"That's because Blaise doesn't know."   
  
"Know what?"   
  
"That's none of your concern." Haley threw her hands up and turned around. But Draco continued on. "What matters is that Blaise can handle himself-"   
  
"And _I_ can't?" She spun back around. "I think, Draco Malfoy, that I can take care of myself perfectly fine. And I _don't_ need you to tell me otherwise." Haley growled at the boy before storming off to find her friends.   
  
"That was uncalled for, Malfoy."   
  
Draco spun around to meet the face of Ethan Maxwell. "Sod off, Maxwell. And stay away from Haley."   
  
"Or else what?" Ethan smirked, cocking an eyebrow.   
  
Draco glared at the other boy. He snarled in warning before brushing past the hazel-eyed boy and entering the common room. 

* * *

  
  
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters. But Ethan's mine. But I'm not so sure if that's a good thing...  
  
Okay. Honestly, I thought I had posted this a while back so that's why it didn't come out 'til now. Sorry about that. Just when you think they're gonna be friends they both shoot off their tempers. Sheesh. Too much yelling. I think I'll go for a more calm chapter next. Two stubborn people will not work together if against each other. But two stubborn people are hard to split up if they do work together...Hmmmm... 


	4. Gryffindor Bonding

The Exchange

* * *

'Stupid Malfoy. Stupid, stupid Malfoy. It's not his business _who_ I'm friends with. What's the problem with Ethan anyway? He doesn't seem like such a bad guy. Just quiet.' At the sound of Ron and Hermione's voices calling her, Haley came to a halt and looked behind her at her approaching friends.

"Geez, Harry, we've been calling you for ages now, since you hurried past. What's on your mind?" Ron asked.

"Sorry about that. Stupid Malfoy was being a jerk again." Haley said with a wave of her hand.

"Really? I thought you guys seemed kind of friendly with each other during Care of Magical Creatures. What happened?"

"I don't know. He just started yelling at me to stay away from some guy."

"Harry, mate, you're not liking boys now that you're in that body are you?" Ron asked, somewhat worried and partly joking.

"It wasn't like that at all, Ron, and you know it. I was just sitting near the guy when Draco burst in and yelled at me."

"First name basis, now are we?" The red head grinned.

"Oh, you!" Haley glared at her best friend.

"Stop it, both of you." Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "Harry, calm down. Ron, grow up."

"Hey!" Ron pouted.

Hermione simply dismissed him and returned her attention to Haley. "Malfoy probably has a good reason why he doesn't want you around that guy. Did you ask him?"

"Yeah, but he avoided it. Just said that it's not my concern which I find is stupid since it _is_ my concern if he doesn't want me to befriend him." Haley shrugged and headed outside with her two friends following closely behind her. "Whatever. I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to get out onto the Quidditch Pitch and fly."

Ron paused. "On what?"

Haley stopped in her tracks and turned to face Ron. "What?"

"I mean, I'd be a little curious as to why Haley Jones is flying on _Harry Potter's_ broom. Right 'Mione?"

"He does have a point, Harry."

"Well then I'll just say that the Firebolt is mine. I brought it from America with me and Harry's Firebolt is with him."

The couple exchanged skeptical glances at one another before looking back at the raven-haired girl.

"Well, that brings up another question I've been wondering for a bit." Ron said, slowly. "What about the Quidditch game coming up against the Slytherins? _Harry_ can't play and Haley, being a Slytherin can't take Harry's place."

Haley's face literally fell. She completely forgot about that upcoming game. And Ron was right. Haley couldn't play and unless Professor Snape found the antidote, neither could Harry. Haley's legs gave way, causing the girl to sit on the cold cobblestone below her. "Awww. But Quidditch is probably the only thing that'll keep me sane, except for you two."

Ron sat down beside her and placed an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Aw, thanks mate. Good to know I'm good for _some_thing."

Hermione sat down on Haley's other side. "Don't worry about it, Harry. I'm sure Professor Snape will figure out the antidote by then. He's probably the best Potions Master of our time."

"I hope you're right, Hermione. I don't know how long I can stand this. I wanna get back to being a guy. No more skirts, no more long hair getting all over the place, and no more bras. I honestly don't understand how girls do it everyday."

"Geez Harry, it's been less than two days and you're already complaining." Ron laughed.

"Oh, sod off. You try being a girl sometime, Ron. See how much you laugh then."

"You know I'm just teasing you. I'm here for support one hundred and ten percent."

"Then support me and quit making fun of me."

Ron just blew a raspberry at the girl, earning a raspberry in return.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, you two. Will you ever grow up?"

"I highly doubt that." Ron grinned.

"Oy!"

The three friends looked over their shoulders to see a grinning Seamus with a slightly irritated Dean hooked on one arm and a nervous-looking Neville hooked on the other.

"Hello Ron, Hermione. And how's my favorite Slytherin? Wow. I never thought favorite and Slytherin would ever come in the same sentence out of my mouth."

Haley giggled. "I'm fine. And how are you three?"

"Couldn't be better!" Seamus smiled.

"Speak for yourself." Neville gulped. "Professor Snape pulled me aside after class and ordered me to recite the ingredients to the _Transpartium_ potion. And be the looks of it, I failed." Neville shook his head. "My gran's not gonna like this one bit."

"Cheer up, Neville. You're probably worrying over nothing." Hermione tried to comfort the boy. He just offered her a tiny smile.

"How 'bout we practice a round of Quidditch, Ron?" Seamus suggested. "I need to work on my aim." He threw his arm around Haley's shoulders. "I _am_ a Chaser you know. Do you play Quidditch back at your school, Haley?"

"Um, yeah."

"Really? What position?"

"Seeker."

"Seeker, eh? You any good?"

"I'm the best seeker at my school." Haley smirked.

"Well, well, well! Just wait until you meet Harry Potter! That would be a match I'd pay to see. You know, Harry's _our_ seeker and the best one at Hogwarts." Seamus grinned. "Don't feel so bad if you can't match up to 'im."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have much difficulty."

"Come on, then, Seamus. Let's get going." Ron dased off to the broom shack, preparing to black any throws the Irish boy may attempt as Gryffindor's Keeper.

"Right then!" Seamus grabbed his broom and the Quaffle and followed after the red head.

Haley, longing to fly in the air, was just about to follow her friends when Hermione took hold of her wrist. "What?"

The brunette pulled her friend in close to whisper to the girl. "I don't think it'd be wise for you to go flying right now, Harry."

"Why not? I'll just explain to them that the Firebolt-"

"It's not that...it's just..."

"What?"

"I don't think you're wearing the proper attire to go flying right at this moment."

Haley looked down and remembered all too suddenly that she was still wearing a skirt. "But...I'm wearing boxers..."

Hermione blushed. "Harry! That's not the point!" She looked around to see anyone heard her. Neville and Dean were talking amongst themselves while watching the other two boys in the air. "The fact of the matter is, if you go up there in _that_, people _will_ look up..._there_!"

Haley's shoulders slumped as she let out a huge sigh. "It's not fair. Girls shouldn't have to wear skirts if they don't want to."

"Hmph. You're telling me about it. But, if you're so desperate to fly, you could always chan..." She trailed off.

Haley cocked an eyebrow. "What now?"

"Do you have any attire other than your school robes?"

"Well of course I do!"

"I mean, something for a girl." Haley opened her mouth to respond but realized she didn't have a thing. Hermione added, "It would be rather odd to see Haley Jones in Harry Potter's clothes..."

"Ugh! Bloody hell!" Haley screamed.

All four boys paused in their activities and looked at the girl.

Hermione offered all of them a nervous smile. "Uh, don't mind her. We've got some things that we need to talk about. Excuse us." Hermione took hold of Haley's wrist once more and lead her towards the Gryffindor Tower.

Upon entering the common room, Hermione, with Haley still trailing behind her, made a beeline for her room. She began rummaging through her trunk and pulled out a pair of jeans. She tossed it at Haley who just stared at it in confusion. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Try them on, silly."

"What?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're going to need something to wear aren't you?"

"But they're _your_ clothes."

"I can loan you some for a bit. Then, on the weekend, we can buy you some more clothes. We can't have you running around in your school robes everyday, now can we?"

Haley sighed. "Fine. May I use your washroom?"

"By all means, go ahead."

Haley ducked into the restroom and closed the door behind her. 'The gender-switching thing is being more and more of a hassle every minute...' She kicked her shoes off to the side and sighed. 'Okay...here we go...' She slipped out of her skirt and pulled up the jeans that Hermione let her borrow. The jeans, although clingy, were rather comfortable to Haley. She slipped off her robe to get a better view in Hermione's full-length mirror. 'Hmmm...not bad...'

"Harry, are you finished yet?"

"Yes, yes..." The girl slipped her shoes back on and picked up her skirt and robe before stepping out.

"How do they fit?"

"They're not bad, actually."

"Right. I knew our sizes would be similar. You can just slip on a sweater over it, for now."

"So, Hermione, if I buy some girl clothes and then Professor Snape finds the antidote, what do I do with the clothes?"

"I don't know. Give them to a charity of something."

"What if I just gave them to you. You did say that we're of similar sizes."

"Well, we'll see. But for now..." the Head Girl reached into her trunk once more before tossing something else at Haley. "Go on and fly."

Haley held up the bundle of fabric to see that it was a sweater. The Slytherin smiled. "Thanks 'Mione."

"Anytime."

The two hurried back to the Quidditch Pitch. With Hermione holding onto her friend's skirt and robes, Haley snatched her broom out of the shack and with a grin on her face, she took to the air and flew circles about the Gryffindor boys.

After dinner, rather than returning to the Slytherin common rooms, Haley spent the evening in the library to do her homework. She even convinced Ron and Hermione to stay with her.

"So what was it like having Trelawny by yourself?" Ron asked while in the middle of his Divination homework. "Did she say anything about...this?"

Haley looked up, taking a break in plotting her many times she'll break her wrist until the next full moon. "Actually, she claimed to have know that my presence would soon approach. And she also tome me to 'beware the number seven.' You know, the usual."

"Honestly, you two." Hermione looked up from her book. "Why continue to take that class when you know it's all a bunch of poppycock?"

"Cause them we'd be stuck in Arithmancy with _you_." Ron smirked.

Hermione tossed her boyfriend a mock-glare. "If you have such a problem being with me, Ronald, that can easily be fixed."

"I was just joking, 'Mione." Ron said apologetically.

"Mm-hmm..." was all she said in response.

Haley rolled her eyes. "We don't take Arithmancy because Divination is just easier."

"Arithmancy's not _that_ much harder." Hermione rebuked. "Even _Malfoy's_ taking it."

"If you do recall, Hermione, Malfoy is also _Head Boy_."

"You know...I don't think he was at dinner this evening..." Haley said more to herself than to the others. Her friends both looked at her with curiosity on their faces. Haley returned their glances. "What?"

Ron cleared his throat as another smirk grew on his face. "Were you looking for him, Haleykins?" The red head fluttered his eyelashes.

"No! Of course not!" Haley defended. Ron just laughed. The Slytherin rolled her eyes and turned to her other friend. "Honestly, Hermione, I don't know _what_ you see in him." She jabbed her finger in Ron's shoulder. Hermione just giggled.

"Hey! I'm insulted." Ron pouted.

"You should be you smarmy git!" Haley retorted.

At this point all three friends broke into laughter.

"All right you three." Madame Pince said as she approached them with her hands on her hips. "Go on off to your dormitories, before you wake the dead."

"Yes, Madame Pince." They said in unison.

Haley sighed as she packed her things. "I suppose I'll just finish my chart in my room."

"How _are_ things in the Slytherin rooms? Anyone attack you yet for being a Gryffindor lover?" Hermione asked as the three left the library.

"Surprisingly, no. Life in the Slytherin House isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I thought all Slytherins hated the other houses and that all they really cared about were themselves. But Blaise isn't-"

"Wait, wait. Who's Blaise?" Ron interrupted.

"Oh. Blaise Zabini. I met him Divination."

"Is _he_ the one that Malfoy doesn't want you to be friends with?" Hermione asked.

"No that's Ethan-"

"Who's Ethan?" Ron looked confused.

"Ethan Maxwell. He's also in my Divination class."

"And he's the one that Malfoy doesn't like for some reason." Hermione added.

"So Blaise is a Slytherin that takes Divination with you and Ethan, the guy that Malfoy hates. So do we hate Malfoy or Maxwell?" Ron asked, still looking a little lost.

"Actually, we hate Pansy." Haley sneered at the name.

"Wait. Who's Pansy again?" Ron scrunched his nose.

"Pansy was the girl that Malfoy went to the Yule Ball with in our forth year." Hermione explained.

"I'd like to cast some hexes on her if I could..." Haley muttered.

"And she also, apparently, has a thing for Malfoy."

"Who? Her?" Ron asked, pointing at Haley.

"No!" Both Haley and Hermione growled at the red head.

"Pansy's the one that likes Malfoy." Haley said, punching Ron on the arm.

"Okay. So Blaise has Divination with Ethan who Malfoy hates but is also a Slytherin like Pansy who likes Malfoy and hates Gryffindors, and Crabbe and Goyle are Malfoy's lackies that aren't all too bright while Malfoy yells at," he looked at Haley. "Who are you again?"

"Harry Potter!"

"Right. Who yells at Harry to stay away from Ethan." Ron took a deep breath. "And I am?"

"Ronald Weasley."

"Right. Good."

"Now that that's done with..." Hermione hooked her arm through Ron's and looked at Haley. "What were you saying?"

Haley sighed. "Blaise isn't like that at all. He has no problems with the other houses and plus, he doesn't like Crabbe, Goyle or Pansy."

"So we like Blaise?" Ron asked.

"Yes." Hermione patted Ron's hand.

"Right. Blaise and I were talking during and after Divination and he's actually a pretty good guy." Haley frowned. "Downside. He's Malfoy's best friend."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "I've never seen them together."

"That's what I said. But he told me that 'you don't need to be near someone all the time to be best friends.' And I s'pose he's right."

"Wait." Ron said again. "So Blaise is Malfoy's-" But he was silenced by Hermione's hand.

"Don't you start that again." She warned.

"Well, this is where I turn, anyway." Haley shrugged. "Night you two."

"Good night, Harry."

"Night, mate."

Hermione and Ron turned and began to walk down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"But wait. I still don't get it." Haley heard Ron complain.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I'll explain it to you in the common room."

Haley smiled at her friends' retreating backs. She turned around and sighed. "Professor Snape, I hope you hurry with that antidote..."

When Haley entered the Slytherin common room, nearly everyone had retired to their rooms but a blonde head immediately caught her attention. Draco was sitting on one of the couches, staring intently at the flames dancing in the fireplace across from him.

Haley, not wanting to deal with him again, made a move towards her room. But the movement was enough to catch Draco's attention.

"Jones, wait." He hopped off the couch and blocked Haley's path.

The girl crossed her arms in front of her. "What?"

"I just..." Draco exhaled and licked his lips. "I wanted to apologize."

Haley blinked. She wasn't really expecting that.

"Look. I know I shouldn't have blown up at you. Again. And I know I don't have the right to tell you who you can and can't be friends with but...just...just be careful, all right?" Draco locked gazes with Haley. It was there Haley saw concern. Another thing she wasn't expecting.

The girl dropped her arms. "All right. I don't know _why_...but I'll be careful."

Draco sighed and stepped back. "Good."

The two just stood there, somewhat awkwardly.

Haley bit her lip. 'Say something, you git!' Haley chided herself. 'Say anything!' "I um...I didn't see you at dinner."

Draco shrugged. "That's because I didn't go."

"How come?"

"...I was waiting for you."

Draco was just full of surprises. Haley looked at Draco, curiously.

"Why?"

"I was out of line again, and I knew it. So, I wanted to apologize." Draco sighed again. "Thought it may not seem like it sometimes, I really _do_ want to be your friend, Jones."

Haley smiled.

A smirk grew on the Head Boy's lips. "Plus, Blaise tells me you're not half bad when you're not arguing with me."

Haley's smile grew at this. "Well, you're not half bad yourself."

The two just stood there, smiles on their faces, grey eyes locked with green.

It was Draco who looked away first. "Well, it's getting late. You should get some sleep."

"Right..." Haley walked to her door. "Good night, Draco."

Draco turned with a faint smile on his face. "Good night, Haley."

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter do not belong to me. But all your teacake do. Haha. Kidding.

This one took a while, I know. But that's because I kinda had writer's block. Just a little one. And then I just sat down and began writing. Pen and paper style. Blue pen. Blue paper. Yeah. With many scratched out phrases and doodles, I finished this bit. Hoorah!

Ummmm...it's always nice to have your friends around when you're feeling down and out. Or when you're pissed off at certain blonde with hypnotic grey eyes. And the whole bit where Ron is trying to figure out who's who, that's supposed to go a bit fast but I can't really show that unless I say 'he said it fast'. But doesn't really matter, either way. I really don't know what Harry's gonna do with the clothes after he's done with them. But I'll figure it out. I _always_ figure it out. Muahahahahaha!!

Oh yeah. I changed it. It was Millicent Bulstrode that fought Hermione not Pansy. Oh well.


	5. A Time For Shopping

The Exchange

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Haley, I love your hair!" Parvati Patil squealed.

While walking around with Hermione and Ron after classes, Haley was bum rushed by the Gryffindor girl who was just dying to meet the new girl. She ended up taking Haley back to her dorm room but not before the Slytherin girl latched onto Hermione's wrist to drag her along. Lavender Brown was in the room when they got there and she was just as eager about meeting Haley as Pavarti was.

"Yeah Haley. What do you put in it? It's so shiny." Lavender said, petting the raven locks.

Haley lightly pulled her hair from the other girl's grasp. "Erm... nothing unusual. Just normal shampoo."

"And your eyes. Wow. You're so lucky. I love how your eyes contrast with your hair. They're so green. Like the leaves of a tree." Pavarti smiled, leaning closer to the girl.

"Yeah, like grass or emeralds." Lavender added.

Pavarti and Lavender looked at each other with grins on their faces. Then they both looked at Haley.

"Like Harry Potter's!" They both squealed at the same time.

Haley just blushed.

"Harry Potter is so dreamy..." Pavarti smiled before she began to fan herself. "Don't you think so, Hermione?"

Hermione blushed. "If you ladies have forgotten, Ron is my boyfriend. And Harry's just one of my best friends."

"You mean you've never thought of him as a boyfriend?" Lavender cocked her head to the side.

"No!"

"That's a shame. Haley, you need to see Harry. I'm sure you'd agree with us."

Haley just laughed awkwardly. Though it was somewhat amusing to find out that these two girls fancied him, it was also just plain weird.

"So, Haley." Pavarti smiled at the girl. "What are going to do this weekend?"

"Well, Hermione and I were going to do a bit of shopping. I, um....I forgot how cold it got here."

"Shopping!" Both girls cheered, startling the raven-haired girl somewhat. Hermione simply shook her head.

"Oh my gosh! You're going shopping?!"

"Can we come with you?"

"We can judge your outfits."

"And you can judge ours!"

"It'll be just like a..."

"Girl's night out!" The two switched off. If Haley didn't know that Pavarti already had a twin sister, she could have sworn that she and Lavender were separated at birth.

"I guess so..." Haley said slowly.

Both girls smiled with glee. "All right! Shopping!"

Hermione just shook her head again.

---

The weekend came too soon as Haley was pulled from clothing rack to clothing rack by the two excited Gryffindors. Hermione trailed behind apologizing politely to the people who gave the girls funny looks.

"Haley, this would look _great_ on you!" Pavarti said, holding up a green blouse.

"Here! Try _this_ on!" Lavender handed the Slytherin a pair of low-cut jeans.

The girls eventually got a room started for Haley to try on clothes. They just continued to pile clothes in Haley's room, throwing them over the door or handing them to the girl from under the door.

Hermione sat back in a chair across the hall from Haley's dressing room and chuckled in amusement.

"What are you so smug about?" Haley frowned.

"You invited them. Don't look so shocked at their excitement. It's what most girls do."

"Well, _you're_ not going crazy now are you?"

"That's because I've got my priorities straightened out. And since I've already got Ron, I don't need to go out of my way to impress anyone." Hermione cocked her head to the side. "That blouse is a little too big on you. It doesn't look right. Lavender!"

The girl came rushing around the corner. "You called?"

"That shirt's too big for Haley. Can you find one smaller?"

"Gotcha!" Lavender smiled.

Haley sighed. "What's wrong with this? It's almost clinging to me."

Pavarti came around the corner and dropped off some more clothes. "Haley, less is more. The less fabric there is concealing you, the more attention you get from the cute boys like Harry Potter." She winked before disappearing around the corner again.

"But...I _am_ Harry Potter." Haley groaned quietly. Hermione just laughed again. "And what if I don't _want_ to attract boys?"

"Well, then, _Haley Jones_..." Hermione smirked. "People would believe that you might be playing on the other side of the team."

Haley blushed before stepping back into her dressing room. She heard Hermione laughing again. The green-eyed girl frowned at her reflection. She was wearing the jeans that Hermione let her borrow and a top that Pavarti had picked out. She pulled off the shirt and slipped on another. It was plain white but rather clingy to accentuate her curves.

'I don't see what the big deal is. _I_ don't notice anything when girls wear tight clothing.' Haley frowned again. 'In fact, I don't notice too many girls at all. I mean, with the exception of Cho Chang, I never really was attracted to that many girls.' Haley shook her head. "But that doesn't mean I fancy boys." She mumbled to herself. She scoffed at the idea. But then Draco Malfoy popped into her mind. She pushed away the image of the blonde boy whose face she had memorized a long time ago. "Yeah right." She shook her head again before continuing on with the growing pile of clothes.

---

"Haley? How many bras do you have?" Hermione half whispered.

"I...erm...."

"What size do you wear?"

"I don't...I don't know. It came with the uniform they gave me."

From behind the dressing room door, Hermione stared somewhat in shock. "Haley, I'm coming in."

"No, wait! I don't have a shirt-"

But before she knew it, her friend was already in the small room with clothes scattered all over the place.

"Hermione!"

"Oh, hush up. It's not like I haven't seen a girl's breasts before."

"But...this is so embarrassing."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Get over it. It's just like two males seeing each other in their boxers. Now drop your arms."

Haley had her arms wrapped around her chest in an attempt to hide herself from the other girl. "I don't-"

"Haley. You've got nothing to hide. Honestly. Grow up." The raven-haired girl glared at her friend but tentatively dropped her arms, revealing her slim and slightly built form. Hermione shook her head. "You know, some girls would kill to have a body like yours."

"Hermione!"

"I'm just telling you the truth." She looked at her friend's chest. The Head Girl made a face with disgust looking all over it. "This bra is way too small for you. It's like they just pulled one at random."

"That's what they probably did." Haley shrugged.

Hermione paused for a moment. "Pulled it from where?"

Haley shook her head. "Oh, please. I don't want to know."

"Right. Me neither." Hermione placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. "Turn around." Haley did as she was told. The green-eyed girl felt Hermione pull at the bra to glance at the tag. "This is a size 34B. I'll be right back."

Haley sighed as her friend stepped through the door. Luckily, Pavarti and Lavender had decided to start pulling things off the rack for themselves. She would have been awfully humiliated had Hermione yelled to the two girls to pick out some bras for her.

The Slytherin looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had been a female for five days now and she had not wanted to look at herself nude or even partially nude in the mirror. It was a little embarrassing even if it were her own body. Even while taking a shower, Haley refused to linger in certain areas. But now, as she looked at herself, she realized that she was quite attractive. She was slim but not too skinny. She had a slight muscular build from playing so much Quidditch and her skin was a nice olive tone that went well with her beautiful, long, black hair.

"Haley, I'm coming in." Came Hermione's voice from the other side of the door. As she came into the room, Haley noticed that she had three different bras in her hands. As if understanding Haley's unspoken question, Hermione held them up. "I pulled three different sizes that I thought would fit better: 36B, 34C, and 36C. I don't think you're a D but if you are, we can always just pull it off the rack. Here," she handed the smallest one to the other girl. "Try it you just..."

Hermione threw her hands up in the air and groaned. "Honestly..." She huffed, but turned around to face the corner.

Haley turned her back to her friend before snapping off the bra that she was already wearing. She tried on the first one and cleared her throat to alert Hermione that she was ready for her to turn around.

"Hmmm...that's the 36B, right? Does it feel too tight?"

"A little, I guess."

"Try on the next one." Hermione said before turning back to face the corner again.

Haley slipped on the next one. It was a little more comfortable than the first one, but it still didn't seem right. She turned to Hermione.

"That one looks better but...try the other one."

Haley did as she was told. 'What a hassle....' She thought.

"That looks perfect." Hermione said, once Haley faced her again. "Not too tight, right?" Haley shook her head. "And you feel covered and supported?" Haley blushed slightly but nodded. "Well, I guess you're a 36C, unless you want to try on a D."

"No, I think this will do fine." Haley said quickly.

"All right. I'll go pick some more out for you. Are you done with everything?" She asked, motioning towards the pile of clothes.

"Yeah. I'll need help carrying all of it."

"Right. I'll get Lavender and Pavarti."

Once Hermione left, Haley took another glance at herself in the mirror. 'I wonder what's so fascinating about a woman's breasts. I mean, they're just large mammary glands, right?' Haley poked one of her breasts. "Whatever." She shook her head before slipping into the clothes she came in.

After putting what she didn't want on a rack, the four girls walked over to the register. Haley had chosen ten pairs of jeans, all of different cuts and colors, five different skirts at the insistence of the girls who thought of how cute Haley would look in them, twenty shirts and tank tops, eleven sweaters and jackets, two pairs of shoes, and twelve bras, two being sports bras. The girl sighed at the sight of the huge pile. It was definitely going to put a dent into her Gringotts account. Maybe she _would_ sell them once all of this was done with.

While the other girls were talking amongst themselves as the clerk scanned all of Haley's clothes, the raven-haired girl spotted a ring in the glass case behind the register. It was large, obviously for a male, silver with an emerald in the middle.

"Excuse me. May I take a look at that ring?"

The witch pulled out the ring the younger girl was pointing to. "Is that for your boyfriend?" She smiled.

Haley blushed. "I don't have a boyfriend."

The witch still continued to smile. "The band was made to resize magically, depending on who the owner is. It fits perfectly, as long as you have fingers."

"Hmmm..." Haley inspected the ring closer. There was a faint image of a dragon whose wings flapped in the emerald and strange markings around the gem, as if in another language.

"It says 'Protect the ones closest to your heart.' It's written in a language that died out years ago." The witch said, reading Haley's mind. "Shall I add it to the rest?"

Haley stared at the ring, automatically thinking of Draco. "It suits him..." She mumbled to herself.

"Excuse me? Him who?" The witch gave a sly smile.

"Huh?" Haley snapped out of her thoughts. "Um, yes. I'll take it."

The witch totaled up all of Haley's purchases and with the help of the three other girls, they lugged it all back to Hogwarts. On their way towards the Slytherin dungeons, a voice came from behind them.

"Someone had a busy day today."

The four girls turned to see Draco Malfoy watching them with a look of amusement on his face.

"Thank goodness." Pavarti sighed. She walked over to the blonde boy and handed him the bags she was holding. "Haley, it was fun. I'll see you around."

"Hey, wait!" Draco frowned.

"Come on Lavender, Hermione." Pavarti said.

The other two girls smiled as they piled on the bags and boxes into Draco's arms. "Wait! I never-"

"See you at dinner, Haley. Bye!" The girls laughed and walked away.

Haley giggled quietly as to not frustrate the Head Boy further. She quickly said the password and hurried to her room with an aggravated Draco following closely behind.

"What did you do? Buy the whole store?" Draco glowered at the pile he dropped into the corner of Haley's room.

Haley ignored the comment and pulled a small box out of one of the bags. "I got you something." She turned to the other boy.

"Really?" Draco's frustration flew out the window only to be replaced with surprise.

"Yeah." Haley shrugged, holding out the little box to Draco.

The grey-eyed boy took the box and slowly opened it. There he saw the silver ring with the emerald in the center.

"It reminded me of you when I saw it."

Draco looked at the ring a bit longer before looking up at Haley. "You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't. I _wanted_ to." She shrugged again.

The blonde looked at the ring again and sighed. He pulled it out of the box and slipped it on. He looked back up at Haley and stepped towards her.

Haley, unsure of what he was doing, stood where she was, her eyes locked with Draco's.

When he was merely centimeters away from the girl, Draco bent down and gave Haley a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." He whispered into her ear before stepping back and leaving the room.

Haley stared at the door, not really seeing it. She was still shocked at what Draco had just done. She lifted her hand to her cheek as a blush slowly crept up her face. She whispered into the air, "It was nothing."

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: If I owned the characters of Harry Potter, would I be writing _fan_fictions? I think not.

Shopping with the ladies. When I first started writing this, I didn't even think of Haley's clothes as a problem. But I guess after thinking about it, it became a little problem. That's a lot of clothes to buy. Plus, a ring. Harry must be rich. I don't know what else to say.


	6. A Winter Flight

The Exchange

* * *

It was now a full week since Harry Potter had become Haley Jones. Haley had found herself bonding more with Draco and Blaise now that she spent more time with the Slytherins in class, during meals, and while in the common room. Pansy still disliked her for always talking and going off with the Gryffindors and for being so buddy-buddy with Draco. Seamus was cheery as ever when Haley was around while Dean watched her with a curious and suspicious look in his eyes. Haley had gotten to know Lavender and Pavarti more and as well. The two girls knew all the gossip that traveled through the school and it was from them that Haley found out that Neville had a crush on the youngest Weasley. Haley was surprised that Crabbe and Goyle actually spoke more than three words per sentence. Though they hadn't become the closest of friends, Haley did earn a little respect for the two boys who were only struggling to get through their classes just like anyone else. As for Ethan Maxwell, he was still a mystery to the girl.

---

'That Longbottom...I'm surprised he even made it this far...' Professor Snape growled. He was currently in his personal lab, trying to figure out what in the world Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter had concocted the day Harry became a girl. At first, he had tried to search in books that might have had the actual recipe for the potion. But he couldn't find a thing. So now, he was in his lab with various ingredients that his students may have been using that day. He had been testing his potions on a mouse that he had endearingly named "Mr. Whiskas". So far, nothing horrible had happened to the mouse with the exception to bad gas. Professor Snape kept the recipe for that potion just in case he wanted to play a little prank on a certain Transfiguration teacher.

A knock on the door interrupted the Professor's concentration. "What?!" he barked.

Haley opened the door and poked her head through. "Professor?"

"Who else would it be?" Professor Snape bit. "What do you want, Potter?"

Haley stepped in all the way and shut the door behind her. "I was wondering how you were doing with the antidote. Close to solving the riddle?" Haley asked, hopefully.

The professor looked up and glared at the girl. "Potter, this will take much more than some tinkering here or there. There're many combinations that you and Longbottom might've done to make the potion."

"But sir, why are you trying to make the _potion_."

"Because, Potter. In order to find out what neutralizes your concoction, you need to know what you're neutralizing. I see now why you do so horribly in my class."

Haley frowned and was going to retort but thought against it. She bit her tongue and looked at her potions instructor. "Well, I do know that I added three mermaid scales and diced gourd bits myself. I'm not sure what Neville did, though. He did seem a little nervous."

"I don't know why I continue to pass him if he can't follow simple instructions." Snape growled, still concentrating on the potion.

"He can _too _follow instructions. It just doesn't help when you're always glaring at him and biting his head off when he does one little thing wrong. He can't help but be nervous when you react the way you do."

Snape's head shot up as he glared daggers at the girl. "Are you implying that Longbottom is a fool because of the way _I _teach?"

Haley knew that she shouldn't respond. She knew that the professor would only become angry and that he would yell at her. She knew, but she did anyway. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Have you seen Neville's marks in Herbology? He's an excellent student because Madame Sprout doesn't yell and insult him when he makes a mistake. She tells him what he did wrong and gives him another chance to get it right."

Snape was quiet but Haley could see that he was fuming. But she didn't want to back down. Neville was her friend and she wouldn't let Snape insult him and get away with it.

"Why are still in my room? I answered your question, did I not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then _leave_ before I decide to give you a detention."

"For what?"

"For the mere fact that you're pissing me off."

Haley frowned but left the room hastily. Upon leaving, she almost bumped into Draco.

"Is it right to assume that he's in a bad mood?" Draco asked.

Haley bit her lip. "Yeah. And I'm sure that it's partly my fault."

Draco smirked. "You do have the ability to bring out the worst in people."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Haha...ha." She said sarcastically before heading towards her room.

"Where you off to?" Draco asked, following the girl into her room.

"I thought I would do some flying. It helps relax me."

The blonde plopped onto the bed and followed Haley with his eyes. "You play Quidditch?"

"Yeah. I thought I mentioned that to you."

"Nope."

Haley pulled out a pair of jeans and a thin sweater. "Well, care to join me? I heard you're not half bad."

Draco scoffed. "I'm not bad at all."

Haley rolled her eyes. "How about it then?"

Draco shrugged. "Sure. I'll go put on a sweater."

"Right. Poor Drakie-wakie doesn't want to catch a cold."

"Haha...ha..." Draco replied, dryly. "We'll see who's making jokes once we're out on the pitch."

Haley laughed.

Her and Draco's relationship hadn't hit any bad turns since their last argument in the common room about Ethan. In fact, since then, it had been going up. They were now good friends, much to Haley's surprise who thought that she would always hate Draco. The blonde boy was surprisingly funny and remarkably intelligent. Haley soon understood that Draco definitely deserved to be Head Boy with brains to contest with Hermione's. Haley found that she was somewhat disappointed in having wasted the past six and a half years hating the Slytherin boy. She saw now that he was a great friend to have albeit being a little anal every now and again.

Haley quickly stripped from her school uniform and slipped into the jeans and sweater. She was completely confident that she would defeat Malfoy in the air. She hadn't lost to him once in their time in Hogwarts and she didn't want to change that now, despite their budding friendship. She locked up her room and watched Draco do the same.

"Draco, why do _you_ lock your door? Can't fight off rabid admirers?" Haley smirked. The smirked faded a little when she saw Draco blanch for a brief second. He quickly covered up by giving the girl one of his trademark smirks.

"No, just one particular exchange student. I know that you're just _dying_ to jump into my pants. This lock is just a little precaution to keep you away."

Haley scoffed. "Yeah right. Hell would have to freeze over before I even dreamt about getting into _your_ pants."

"Why do you think I had to put on a sweater?" Draco gave the girl a sly look before heading towards the exit.

Haley just stood in front of room a little speechless. 'Damn him and his quick wit... I'll show you!' Haley snapped out of her thoughts and hurried to Draco's side.

The two Slytherins made their way out to the Quidditch Pitch. It was the first week of December and the air was cold enough to line the ground with snow but not enough to keep the pair from flying.

"Let's make this interesting." Draco said while reaching into the shack for his broom and the snitch.

"What do you have in mind?" Haley asked, reaching for her Firebolt.

"Well, the holidays are coming up. I'm not leaving, are you?"

"Ermm...no. The family's on business."

"Right. Let's say...loser buys dinner in Hogsmeade? No cheap deal, either. I'm talking _Les Gourmand_." The blonde smirked, referring to the most expensive restaurant in the entire town. He held out his hand to close the deal.

Haley smiled and shook Draco's hand. "You're on. Prepare to lose, Draco Malfoy."

"You wish, Haley Jones."

At that, Draco released the snitch. It abruptly sped off into the winter air. The two seekers quickly hopped onto their brooms, not wanting to lose to the other.

"I think I'll order the steak and lobster!" Draco called from the other side of the pitch.

"Order whatever you want, Malfoy! You're paying for it!" Haley called back. She tossed the blonde a winning smile before turning her attention back to the game.

The two drifted in the air for a good twenty minutes without spotting the snitch. There were a few close calls but each time, the snitch managed to slip past and disappear all over again. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Haley spotted Draco slip into a dive. She saw the glint of gold sweep past the blonde and she immediately gave chase. The two were racing for the golden ball. Their brooms cut through the air like a knife, both were leaning as far out on their broom as they could with an arm outstretched. They were neck-in-neck. But with a last burst of speed, Haley wrapped her fingers around the golden ball with a triumphant smile spread across her face. Haley landed onto the snow and cheered.

"That's right! I'm the best!" She sang. "Malfoy sucks! Like the rest!" Haley laughed. When Draco landed, she turned to him with a grin on her face. "Hmmm, maybe I should buy _two_ steaks. I'm pretty tired after kickin' your sorry butt. Haha."

Draco simply rolled his eyes. "You cheated. I demand a rematch."

"Oh please. I didn't cheat and you know it. I won fair and square. I beat you. I'm the best." Haley continued her gloating by doing a little victory dance.

Draco shook his head and sighed. "That makes two."

Haley paused her dancing. "Huh? Two what?"

"Two people. The only people that have beaten me in Quidditch is you and Harry Potter."

The girl snickered. "That's cause you suck." She continued dancing again.

"You're going to gloat about this all afternoon aren't you?"

"And all evening, and all day tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that..." It was then that Haley noticed how cold it was getting. She shivered slightly, although it didn't dampen her spirits one bit.

Draco rolled his eyes again, but pulled off his sweater.

Haley watched curiously as the blonde approached and began to slip the sweater over the girl's head.

"There. And _that's_ why I brought a sweater." He said matter-of-factly as a faint blush crept up Haley's cheeks. He took Haley's broom into his hand and placed it back into the shack, along with the snitch. When he returned to the girl, he slung an arm around Haley's shoulder and smirked. "Okay, I admit. You are surprisingly good at Quidditch."

"Why thank you, Draco. For that, I will reduce the gloating to the rest of this week."

Draco chuckled as the two started to make their way back to the school.

"So, Haley. You wouldn't even _dream_ about getting in my pants?"

Haley looked at Draco, incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Sure, why not? I'm a healthy young man, you an average female," at this, Haley scoffed. "Why not?"

"Draco, in order for someone to _want_ to be in your pants, they have to like you first."

"But why have someone find me appealing when I have raw loathing right here?"

"If loathing is what you want, you've come to the right person."

Draco smiled. "You know what, Jones?"

"Hm?" Haley looked up into Draco's eyes.

"I'm glad you came here."

The raven-haired girl smiled. "I'm glad too."

Draco removed his arm from Haley's shoulders, the girl immediately missing its warmth. "I'll see you at dinner. I need to get another sweater. I guess Hell really _did_ freeze over." He winked at his friend before taking off towards the dungeons.

Haley rolled her eyes again. "You wish!" She called. She smiled as Draco spun around showing the girl the grin on his face as he walked backwards before spinning back around.

"My oh my. You two are getting awfully close."

Haley spun around to see Ethan Maxwell watching where Draco had disappeared.

"Oh. Hello Ethan."

Ethan's hazel eyes fell onto Haley. "Hello, Miss Jones. Care to abandon your original post and sit with me tonight?"

"Ummm...Sure." She knew of Draco's warning to be extra cautious around Ethan. But she still didn't know why. And she was fully prepared to defend herself if she needed to. So she thought nothing of it as she walked side by side with Ethan into the Great Hall.

"How are you liking Hogwarts so far, Haley?" Ethan asked taking a seat far from where she normally sits with Draco.

"I love it here. Everyone is so nice."

"Really? Even Draco?"

She gave the boy a curious look. "Yes. I mean, we've had our arguments but he's actually a nice guy."

Ethan sighed. "I suppose. I never really got to know him. For some reason, he just hates me."

"I noticed. But you don't know why?"

"No, not at all. It's like what he does to Harry Potter."

"Oh?" Haley bent forward towards Ethan.

"Yeah, I mean, I've seen Harry around the school. He's a good guy. I bet you'd like him. But for some reason, Draco just hates him. That's like how it is with me."

"Oh."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't be friends with him." Ethan said, quickly. "By all means, go right ahead. You two seem to be hitting it off real well. I'm just saying that you should be careful around him. I think he might have split personalities: the nice Draco that you're friends with and a darker Draco. Try to keep away from _that_ side."

Haley nodded. She sat across the table from Ethan, taking in all this information. Despite how nice Draco was acting, Haley couldn't help but wonder if Ethan was right. Maybe there _was_ a darker Draco. Maybe all the friendliness was just a façade to get her to trust him. In her previous experiences with the blonde, he was mean and snotty and downright awful to her and her friends. Haley just shook off the idea. She didn't know _who_ to trust. She was left with her thoughts for the rest of the night as she hurried to her room after dinner.

---

As Draco stepped into the Great Hall, he quickly scanned the area for Haley. He spotted her sitting with Ethan Maxwell. He felt the anger rise in him as his hands clenched into fists. He was just about to pull Haley away from the other boy but stopped as soon as he remembered what happened last time he did that. He didn't want to argue with Haley again, especially after building such a great friendship with her already. He watched carefully as Ethan spoke and as Haley listened intently. He knew there was something wrong. And when he watched Haley dash away after her meal, Draco didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: No, silly rabbit. I don't own the characters of Harry Potter. Though I do admit that Ethan is mine. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be seen.

So...Time goes on. Draco and Haley are friends. But who's really the bad guy? Draco or Ethan? Ethan or Draco? Gasp! It must be...Blaise!! Blaise? I didn't even know he was an option. Haha. I'm just kidding with you. Don't worry. The holidays are coming up. The rest of Hogwarts will leave Draco and Haley alone. Good or bad? Hmmm...ponder ponder....I think I had too much Coca Cola. Yum.


	7. The Trust Issue

The Exchange

* * *

"Haley!"

The Slytherin didn't turn around at the sound of the voice. She knew that voice perfectly well. She slowed her pace to let the boy catch up.

Draco Malfoy jogged up to walk side by side with the girl. "You hurried off after dinner, last night. Is there anything wrong?"

Haley simply shook her head. She had spent the evening doing her homework in her room. And after she had finished, she just sat on her bed wondering who she should trust. Ethan didn't seem like a bad guy. And he did have a point about Draco seeming to have a darker side. She had seen it herself whenever she as Harry quarreled with the blonde. But she didn't know Ethan enough to thoroughly trust the boy. Because of this, she kept going back and forth between the two boys until exhaustion finally took over sending her into a dreamless state.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, looking a little concerned.

"I'm fine, Malfoy."

Draco cocked an eyebrow in hearing his family name used in such a distant tone. Not at all at how the girl had playfully said it just yesterday. He sighed. "Look, I saw you with Maxwell last night. What did he say to you?"

Haley gave the boy a cross expression. "I don't think that's any of your business, Malfoy."

Draco flinched slightly at how cold she sounded. "Ethan Maxwell isn't one to be trusted-"

"What? And you are?" Haley stopped in her tracks. "I think I can judge for myself who I can and can't trust."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes searching Haley's for her answer.

"Just stop it, okay? I don't want to argue with you." Haley looked highly irritated.

"Okay, fine. But why are you being so cross with me, suddenly?"

"I don't know. I just...ugh..." The girl massaged her temple. "I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me." She pushed past the speechless blonde and hurried towards the nearest restroom.

After finishing her business, she turned around to flush and noticed something. The blood drained from her cheeks as she quickly finished up in the bathroom and started at a dead sprint towards the hospital wing.

"Madame Pomfrey! I'm bleeding!" Haley yelled as she burst through the door.

The woman hurried around the corner towards the girl. "No need to worry, I can patch it up, no problem."

"But-but...I'm bleeding...down _there_." Haley implied.

Realization struck the elderly woman before she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Madame Pomfrey, this is _no_ laughing matter! What's wrong with me? I'm scared!"

"Oh, my dear, dear, Harry. You've been in this wing many times for many different reasons. I never thought you'd come here for this." The woman said through her chuckling.

Haley responded with a confused look. "What? What is it?"

"Harry, dear. You _do_ know about a woman's menstrual cycle, don't you?"

Haley blinked. "I...um...sorta..."

Madame Pomfrey gained control of her laughter. "Harry, you're on your period. There's nothing to worry about. Every woman goes through this."

The Slytherin girl blushed. "But...now?"

"Unfortunately, we have no real control over it. It comes and goes as your body sees fit."

"Well, what do I do about it? How do I stop the bleeding?"

"I'm afraid you can't. You just have to let it pass." Madame Pomfrey disappeared around the corner for a second, returning with two boxes in her hands. "So, do you prefer pads or tampons?"

"For what?" Haley asked curiously.

The woman bit back her laughter. "Harry, you can't go around with blood-soaked knickers now can you?"

Haley blushed even harder this time. She couldn't believe that she was on her period when it felt like all her blood was in her cheeks.

"I thought you couldn't stop the bleeding. What are those for?"

"You wear them."

"Where?"

"My goodness, boy, didn't you learn this at all from someone or somewhere?"

"I learned about how a _boy_ works. Not a _girl_." Haley defended.

Madame Pomfrey sighed. She was glad that there wasn't anyone in the hospital wing at the moment to take care of. "With a maxi pad, you line them in your knickers. And with tampons, well...you insert them..."

"Insert them where?"

"For goodness sake, boy, where do you think?"

After realizing where, Haley couldn't believe it was possible to be even redder. "You mean there are girls out there right now with those things..._there_?"

"Well, yes, if they prefer them to maxi pads."

"What if it gets stuck?"

This time, the blush fell onto the nurse's face. "Then you pull it out."

"You mean you actually go in and-"

"Please, no!" Madame Pomfrey had her eyes shut and her hand out to silence the girl. "Use your imagination, dearie." She sighed and looked at the confused girl. "What'll it be?"

A look of disgust passed over the Haley's face thinking about using tampons. "I'll go with pads." The woman handed the girl the box of pads. "Madame Pomfrey, where do I put it?"

"I told you, on your panty-"

"But I'm wearing boxers." Haley said, matter-of-factly.

The nurse shook her head. "You make this awfully difficult...pads weren't meant to be worn with boxers."

"But I don't want to wear girl's underwear." Haley frowned.

"Well, unless you want to go with the tampons, I'm afraid you'll have to change that little fact."

"But-"

"By all means, child, you can return to your beloved boxers the moment you're period ends but for now, you must switch if you're so inclined towards pads."

"But what do I do now? I don't have any girls underwear."

Madame Pomfrey thought for a minute. "I suppose I could send someone out into Hogsmeade."

"But what do I do until then?"

"Well, you could either wait here or wear a tampon." The elder woman smirked when she saw the girl flinch. "Is there anyone you know of that I could send for you?"

"Well, Hermione knows about my situation. We went shopping the other day as well..."

"Right. I shall send for Miss Granger. Surely she will make the purchase for you."

Minutes later, Hermione entered the hospital wing, a little concerned for her friend from not having heard the story. But once it was told, Hermione couldn't help but burst into laughter, earning a glare from her best friend. The brunette agreed to help and before she left, she offered to buy Haley a thong. This earned the Gryffindor another glare but she appeared to care less as she laughed all the way out of the hospital wing.

Almost half an hour later, Hermione returned with a bag in her hand. She offered to wait for her friend since they could walk to Hagrid's class together. After being shown how to place it most effectively by both Madame Pomfrey and Hermione, Haley ducked into the bathroom wondering if anyone had ever died from embarrassment. If not, she wouldn't be surprised if she were the first. She peered into the bag and immediately spotted the assortment of colors. 'Why would I need so many colors? It's not like I'm going to show the world my undergarments...' Haley scoffed. She pulled one out and prepared herself for the rest of the day, still discomfited by the whole situation. And still feeling self-conscious, she slipped her boxers up over the panties. She instantly felt awkward and swore that anyone who could see her would be able to spot the chunky pad.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. You can't see a thing." Hermione said, assuring her friend as they left the hospital wing together. She found it very difficult to contain her laughter but in seeing the irritation and humiliation in her friend's eyes, she fought the urge.

"Are you sure? It feels all bulky."

"I'm positive. Do you spot it on any other girls when they walk by?"

"No, but that's cause they have their robes on."

"And so do you."

"But I feel like it's sticking out. Are you sure it's not sticking out?"

"Honestly Harry, you should hear yourself. You're paranoid over nothing."

"I'm not paranoid." Haley snapped.

Hermione just regarded her friend with an amused look.

"What?" The Slytherin bit.

"If I didn't know that you were on your period right now, I'd think you were just being a bitch."

Haley gaped at her friend's bluntness. "I'm...I'm sorry 'Mione."

The brunette smiled. "Don't worry about it. Hormones. It happens while you're menstruating. Just relax and try to be more patient with everyone."

Haley sighed. "This girl thing is such a hassle."

Hermione scoffed. "Just be happy you won't have to go through pregnancy."

The green-eyed girl cringed at the idea as they finally reached Hagrid's hut.

Draco immediately spotted the pair and hurried over to Haley as the rest of the class one by one approached a giant dog-like creature called a 'Mastrot'. "Haley! There you are! Are you all right? Where have you been? Are you hurt?"

Again, Haley massaged her temple at the onslaught of questions. "Shut it, Malfoy!" She snapped. She hadn't meant to be cruel but she felt a headache forming at Draco's insistence.

Draco took a step back, a little shocked and a little hurt by Haley's biting words.

"Look, Malfoy. Haley's just not feeling all too well. Just let her be for now, okay?" Hermione said. Draco gave a curt nod before returning to where Crabbe and Goyle were standing. The Head Girl turned to her friend. "That was rather harsh, don't you think."

Haley felt guilt wash over her. Her emotions were on the fritz. "I know. I just..."

"It's okay. Just relax. You'll get used to it, I promise."

"'Mione? Can you keep this from Ron? He'll have a field day teasing me."

"No problem." Hermione smiled. She directed her friend towards the rest of the class as they listened to how the Mastrot was a creature best suited for the harsh winters of the arctic.

---

Throughout the entire day, Draco kept his distance from Haley, not wanting to upset the girl. This just served to make Haley feel worse at how she acted. Draco was her friend despite what Ethan had said. Even though she didn't completely trust the blonde, she did enjoy spending time with him when they weren't mad at each other.

It was already after dinner and Haley wanted to take this time to try to find Draco and apologize for her behavior. She found him in the common room, talking with Blaise.

"Hello, Haley." Blaise smiled at the girl.

She smiled in return. "Good evening, Blaise." She turned to the blonde boy. "Can I talk to you?"

Draco stood and followed the girl just outside the common room.

"Listen, Draco. I'm sor-" She was cut off by the sounds of moaning further down the hall. She looked incredulously toward where the sounds were coming from. "What in the..."

Draco shook his head. "Slytherins..."

"Look, Draco." Haley raised her voice above the moans. "I just wanted to apolo-"

"Oh that tickles!" Came a feminine voice from around the corner.

Haley rubbed her temples again, not liking the fact that some horny teenagers kept interrupting her.

The blonde sighed. "Come on." He held her wrist and pulled her through the halls of the school. Haley didn't recognize where Draco was taking her but followed without question. They soon reached a door and when they passed through, Haley noticed that they were on a sort of nook along the rooftops of the school. Draco pulled the girl onto a nearby bench and sat them down.

"Where are we?" Haley asked, looking around curiously.

"A long time ago, this school used to teach meteorology. Tried to teach methods on controlling weather. The classroom is right through that door." He pointed to the door opposite the one they entered from. "But people lost interest when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named first emerged. Now it's just one of Hogwarts abandoned rooms. I come here to think sometimes."

Haley looked at Draco, wondering what he must be thinking of now. "Oh." Was all she could think to say.

"So, you wanted to talk?"

"Right." She sighed. "I just wanted to apologize to you for being so...off."

A light smile played on Draco's lips. "I knew you would."

Haley gaped at his vanity. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Draco chuckled and threw his arm around Haley's shoulders. "It means that you fancy me. Don't want to hurt my feelings, now do you, Haleykins?"

The girl rolled her emerald eyes. "Get over yourself, Malfoy." Despite her comment, she leaned into Draco's body to shield herself from the cold.

Draco, too, moved in closer to the girl. They were quiet for some time, Haley lost in her thoughts as Draco stared off into the night sky.

'I shouldn't be sitting here like this.' Haley thought. 'This is _Draco Malfoy_ for crying out loud. Not only is he my number one enemy but he's also a _boy_. I can't like boys. I _am_ a boy.' Haley frowned. 'Wait, who said I like him in the first place? We're just two friends sitting together on a bench. That's all. Draco Malfoy is my friend. For now.' The girl sighed. 'As soon as Professor Snape finds that antidote, it's back to where we started.' Haley felt a sharp pang in her chest, but she dismissed it as being hormones. 'And plus... how can I really trust him? There's a lot to him I don't know...Ethan could be right about having to be careful around him. I mean, Draco doesn't completely trust me, otherwise he would tell me about Ethan, so I guess that means I shouldn't completely trust _him._'

Haley blinked. She suddenly pulled away from Draco, sitting upright and staring off into the distance though not seeing. "Too weird."

"What?" Draco asked, shivering a little at the sudden loss of her warmth.

Haley shook her head. "It's getting late. And cold. We should head back."

"No, that's all right. I think I'll stay out here a bit longer. You can find your way back, right?"

Haley nodded. "You sure you don't want me to wait?"

"I might be out here a while."

"Right..." Haley pulled off her scarf and wrapped it around Draco's neck. "Remember to not freeze yourself to death."

Draco smirked. "Gee, Jones, I didn't know you cared."

Haley rolled her eyes again. "Well I do. Just not about you. If they find you out here frozen stiff, I might get in trouble having been the last person to be seen with you. You see, I'm only looking out for _my_ best interests."

Draco scoffed, but smiled at the girl.

"Night, Draco."

"Good night, Haley."

Haley turned and went back into the school. She thought about what just happened. 'Even though I am trapped in this body, I am still Harry Potter. And Harry Potter doesn't sit under a starlit sky with Draco Malfoy's arm around him.' While she was sitting there, she realized how surreal the whole situation was and quickly pulled away. She was afraid of what she would realize had she not. "We are friends. That's all. Nothing more." Haley nodded to herself. "Nothing more."

"Nothing more, what?"

Haley was startled out of her thoughts in hearing Ethan's voice. "Ethan? What are you doing up?"

"What are _you_ doing up?" he countered.

"Well, I was just...I needed to do some thinking."

"Were you with Draco?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yes." She replied before she could catch herself.

"...Did he hurt you?"

Haley halted and stared at Ethan. "What?"

Ethan stopped as well, and looked Haley in the eye. She saw concern there and something else she couldn't recognize. "Did. He. Hurt. You?" He repeated, emphasizing each word.

"No, of course not. Why...why would he?"

"Draco's not entirely trustworthy."

"And _you_ are?" Haley recognized this transaction clearly.

"Touché." The hazel-eyed boy sighed. "I know very well that you can take care of yourself. I don't question your judgment at all. I just don't want to see you get hurt..." He cradled Haley's chin between his thumb and his forefinger. "You're very beautiful, you know that?" He whispered.

Haley blushed, but took a step back, away from Ethan's touch. "Good night, Ethan."

"Good night, Haley." He smiled slightly.

Haley didn't return the smile, but instead quickly walked away. She hurried to her room, feeling more confused now than she had felt last night. She shook her head. Haley didn't want to think any more of Ethan Maxwell or Draco Malfoy. She forced them out of her thoughts as she let slumber claim her for the night.

Ethan had watched the girl go with a feral look in his eyes. He smiled to himself before heading off in the opposite direction, leaving behind a small picture of the girl on the cold stone floors.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters. I claim the rights to Ethan. And a half eaten bag of Skittles.

Wow. I'm starting to believe that Haley's thinking too much. Her thinking ruined the rooftop scene. Oh and Ethan's made clear that he finds Haley pretty. OoOoOo...How's that gonna work out? Haha. Not even I know.


	8. That's What You're Here For

The Exchange

* * *

Draco sneezed. He hadn't realized that he had sat in the bitter cold for such a long time until his own cold caught up with him the next morning. He rose from bed, feeling miserable and even colder than before. But he was a Malfoy and Malfoys didn't care about their health. They cared about their education. So, he got dressed and left the Slytherin common room and slowly made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

That's when he spotted something on the floor: a glossy, rectangular piece of paper. He picked it up and was shocked to see that it was a very up close picture of Haley. The boy frowned. Haley hadn't been looking at the camera while this was taken. That could have easily meant that someone was stalking her. But Draco chided himself for jumping to conclusions. It could have been also been a candid shot taken by one of her friends.

"Hey, Draco!" Haley hurried up to her friend.

Draco, startled from his thoughts, tried desperately to shove the picture into his pocket.

"Glad to see you didn't freeze out there." She smiled. She looked at the boy curiously, as he tried unsuccessfully to hide the picture. "What's that?"

Draco shook his head. "It's nothing." He said, hiding it behind his back.

"That's a picture. Who is it of?" Haley grinned. "It is of your secret lover?" She teased. She circled the boy to try to catch a glimpse of the shot.

Draco tried to keep the photo away from Haley's eyes. But he was feeling exhausted so when she swiftly grabbed the picture from his hands, there was nothing he could do about it.

The smile slowly faded from Haley's face. "What's this?" She looked up at Draco, confusion written across her features. "Why do you have this? I don't remember posing for any pictures."

"It's not mine." The boy defended. "I found it on the floor just now."

"Then why were you trying to hide it from me if you _just_ found it?"

"Haley I didn't…I-ah…ah choo!" Draco sneezed.

Concern immediately flooded her face. She stepped forward and placed a hand upon Draco's forehead. "Oh my gosh, you're burning up!"

The Head Boy shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You are _not_ fine. What time did you get in last night?"

"I don't know…" Draco sniffled.

"Come on, we need to get you to the hospital wing." She took Draco's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to help him walk.

The blonde pulled back his arm. "I'm fine. I need to get to my classes…" Just then, his knees gave way, and had it not been for Haley, the boy would have crashed face first into the stone floor.

"Draco, you are not fine. I'll take notes for you in class if you're so worried."

"I'm supposed to learn from _your_ chicken scratch?"

Haley frowned and released the boy, allowing him to fall flat on his face. Draco groaned and rolled over onto his back. The raven-haired girl inwardly smirked, but placed her hands on her hips and bent over her friend. "It's either _my_ chicken scratch or Goyle's."

"Good point. But what about my Arithmancy class?"

"I'll just borrow Hermione's." Draco frowned. "It's either that or nothing else. She's the only one that I know of in that class, other than you."

"Ugh, fine."

"You know what? Never mind. I think I'll just leave you here like this, you ungrateful twat. Have a nice day, Draco." The girl smiled and began to walk away.

"Haley!" Draco whined, still not moving from off the floor.

The girl rolled her eyes and quickly returned to the boy lying on the ground. She pulled him up and wrapped his arm around her again to support his weight. "After this, you're going on a diet."

Draco scoffed. "You know you like my sexy body."

"Clearly, this cold has made you delusional."

The blonde rested his head on Haley's. "Thank you."

The girl smiled. "No problem."

The two made their way up to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey frowned upon seeing Draco. "This is what you get for staying out of bed so late, Mr. Malfoy." The nurse forced him to rest in one of the beds and poured some juice for him. "Better hurry to class, Miss Jones. I' m putting you in charge of collecting Mr. Malfoy's homework for him."

"Right." Haley walked over to Draco's side. "Get better soon, Draco. I won't do this for you everyday."

"I wouldn't _dream_ of it."

The two shared a friendly smile before Haley left to go to class. She remembered the picture that was carelessly shoved into her pocked. 'What was Malfoy doing with this?' Haley frowned. She didn't want to think about it and simply threw the picture away into the nearest trash receptacle.

---

Draco was bored. He had slept a good four hours before being woken by Madame Pomfrey to eat some lunch. After finishing his meal, the boy was wide awake and feeling much better than he had felt when he first woke up in the morning. But the nurse urged him to lay back and rest some more so that he wouldn't have to return the next day. So there he sat, staring at the ceiling feeling absolutely bored. He _did_ calculate that classes would end at precisely three in the afternoon. From Divination class, it would take Haley about ten minutes to get to the hospital wing to visit him. Draco frowned. Haley was two minutes late.

'She better not be off with Maxwell…damn that Maxwell…' Draco then remembered the picture. He sat up. 'I bet it was _his_ picture…No…I can't keep jumping to conclusions. But she _did_ say that she never posed for it so that means someone _must_ be following her…but who?' Draco frowned again. He looked at the ring the girl had given him. Curious as to what the markings said, he searched the library. He was sure that he could have simply asked Haley but he wanted to do this on his own. He was a little startled when he translated it into 'Protect the ones closest to your heart.' But from then on, Draco vowed to try not to upset the girl so much and do what he could to keep her from harm. She was the closest friend that he had, next to Blaise, and he was alarmed at how close they became in such little time. He couldn't help but feel as if he knew this girl from somewhere before. There was something in Haley's eyes that seemed so familiar to Draco but he just couldn't place it. He sighed.

Haley grunted as she pushed through. "Too many books…" She mumbled to herself. She walked over to Draco's bed and dropped everything on the corner.

"You're fifteen minutes late." Draco scolded.

"For what?" Haley frowned.

"If you get out of class at three, it should only take you ten minutes to get here."

"Yeah, if you _fly_." The girl rolled her eyes. "I had to track down Hermione to get her Arithmancy notes. She made it very important that you don't bend the edges of her parchment." Draco scoffed, but Haley simply ignored the sound. "And…" She reached into her bag and pulled out a bowl, a spoon, and a thermos. "I stopped by the kitchen and got you some soup." She smiled, handing the boy the thermos. "It's chicken noodle."

Draco stared at the thermos for a minute. "What…?"

"Warm soup's supposed to make you feel better." Haley smiled. "Plus, chicken soup is good for the soul."

The blonde looked at his friend skeptically. "Chicken soup is good for the soul?"

"Will you just eat it?" The girl rolled her eyes. Smirking, Draco obliged. "Oh yeah. Blaise said that he would be up soon to visit you and keep you company."

"You're leaving?" Draco asked, between swallows.

"Well, yeah."

"Oh." Grey eyes averted from Haley's to the soup.

Haley smirked. "Don't worry, you spoiled brat. I'll be back. Ethan said he needed help with Divination. We're going to work on it together for a bit and then I'll come back up after dinner."

"Maxwell? You're going to be working with _Maxwell_?"

Haley frowned. "Don't get into _this_ again. I know very well how you feel about him and I know a bit about how he feels about _you_, but he doesn't throw a fit whenever I tell him I'm hanging out with you."

"I do _not_ throw fits."

"Sure you don't." Haley replied, sarcastically. "Don't worry about it, Draco. I'll be fine. I've faced people more threatening than Ethan Maxwell."

Draco sighed. "Just be careful, okay."

"Funny," Haley smirked. "That's what he said to me about you." She picked up the thermos. "Are you almost done? I should bring it back to the kitchens."

"Almost. The rest is just soup. And I might spoil my appetite for dinner."

"Well then I'll finish it." She picked up the bowl and drank the leftover soup.

Draco smirked. "Now you're going to catch my cold."

Haley shrugged. "Then you'll just have to take care of me." She smiled. "See you later, Draco."

"Bye Haley."

The girl packed up the thermos, bowl and spoon before leaving the hospital wing. She quickly made her way to the kitchens where she thanked Dobby for the soup. Dobby, friendly as ever, showed Haley his newest pair of socks, a blue one with goldfish swimming around and a pink one with little hearts all over it. After promising the elf a fresh new pair for Christmas, Haley took off once more to the Slytherin common room to meet Ethan so they could work on their Divination homework together.

"Trust me. I do it all the time." Haley said, filling her chart with yet another unbelievable tragedy. This time, she would slip on a tea cozy and fall down a flight of stairs, effectively resulting in the girl's demise.

"Haven't you ever tried doing it the right way?" Ethan asked.

"Well I tried it at first but this way is just easier since Madame Trelawny loves it when she hears that I'll be mauled by a pack of mastrots or fall somehow and break my hip."

Ethan cocked an eyebrow. "Just how many star charts have you made since you've been here?"

"Um, just the one for November. I, um, I tried doing it properly the first half of the month but I just put random things in the last half." Haley covered. The Slytherin boy just watched her curiously. "What?"

Ethan smirked. "It's nothing."

"O…kay…" She looked over her homework. "I'm pretty much done here. How about you?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The girl started packing her things in her satchel. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving." She picked up one of her parchments with some of her Transfiguration notes and scanned it just in case she missed something for her homework.

Ethan gathered his things and sighed. "Well, I'll meet you down there. I've got one more thing to do before I head off for dinner."

"All right. You sure you don't want me to wait for you?"

"Nah, you go on ahead." Ethan picked up his things before heading off towards the boys' dormitories.

Haley, too, gathered her things and dropped them off into her room. Upon leaving her room, Haley came face to face with an angry Pansy.

"I don't approve of this one bit." Pansy glared at the girl.

"I would ask 'what in hell are you talking about?' but I realized that I don't care whether or not I have your approval." Haley bit back. She could see the anger rise within Pansy's chestnut eyes.

"I'm talking about you, stealing away my Drakie in the first place and then going behind his back with Ethan Maxwell." Haley couldn't really tell, but she thought she saw Pansy flinch at the name.

"First of all, I didn't steal Draco away from anyone. He and I are just _friends_. And second of all, Ethan and I didn't do anything since we, too, are just _friends_. So bugger off."

"Oh, don't you go playing the innocent role! You know what you're doing. You're toying with these boys as if they were…toys! I don't see what anyone likes about you! You probably just put them under a spell of some sort!"

"How _dare_ you accuse me of such a disgusting thing! I would _never_ stoop that low to get a boy! I don't even like bo-" Haley threw her hands over her mouth, eyes wide.

Pansy's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Oh my God, you're a poof! Get away from me you dyke!"

Haley frowned. "Dammit, Pansy, I'm not a poof!"

"You just said you don't like boys. You can't take that back, you poof."

"That doesn't mean I like girls, either!" The black-haired girl growled.

Pansy's jaw dropped as she took a large step backward. "Oh my God, you're a bloody animal lover!"

Haley stared in shock and disgust at Pansy's new assumption. "No! Of course not!"

"You stupid Americans are so disgusting!"

"I don't fancy animals of any sort!" Haley was beginning to get very irritated. She wanted to put an end to this conversation before anyone stepped in the room to hear them.

"You just said that you don't fancy boys and you don't fancy girls. What else does that leave, you freak?"

"It means I have no preference, you dumb arse. I don't care what gender they are as long as there's love involved!" Haley blinked. She hadn't even realized this was how she truly felt before yelling at Pansy. And now that she thought about it, it didn't really disturb her even though a little bit of her said it should.

"Oh my God, you're such a hippie freak. Peace, love. It's a wonder that you weren't stuck with those goody-two-shoe-Gryffindors." Haley rolled her eyes. "But that still doesn't change the fact that you're prancing around this school as if the world owes you a favor!"

"I do _not_ prance!" Haley briefly wondered if she actually _did_ prance about since both Draco _and_ Pansy mentioned it. "But at least it would be better than walking around with my nose stuck up in the air with a stick shoved up my arse!"

Pansy gasped. "I do _not_ walk like that! You're such a stupid-"

"I am _not_ stupid!"

"_Slut!_"

Haley gasped. "Why you little…" The girl clenched her fist and started towards Pansy. Pansy's eyes grew wide before she started screaming and running about the common room. "Come back here!" Haley yelled.

"Get away from me!" Pansy screeched over her shoulder.

"How dare you call me a slut and expect to get away with it! Get over here!" The green-eyed girl made a swipe at the other girl's robes, missing by a few centimeters.

In seeing Haley's close proximity, Pansy picked up the pace and started screaming some more. She darted towards the girls' dormitories and ran up the stairs at full speed. Throwing open the nearest door, Pansy shut Haley out, leaning her weight on the door to keep it closed.

"Pansy! Get out here!" Haley roared, pounding on the door. She was just about to ram into it when she suddenly found herself paralyzed and falling to the ground.

"Miss Jones!" Snape snarled, looking at the frozen girl lying before him. "How dare you disrupt my work with your bothersome squabble. I'm sitting in my laboratory when all of a sudden I hear some screaming. To my surprise, I see you chasing after one of _my_ students in _my_ common room." The professor released the girl from his spell. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't give you a detention right now."

Haley sat up. "She started it! She called me a-"

Snape held out a hand, signaling for her to stop. "Not good enough, Miss Jones. Detention for a week with Filch."

Haley abruptly stood. "But that's not fair! Pansy-"

"Do you want to make it two?" Snape warned, looking very tired and very aggravated at the whole situation.

Haley frowned and faced the door. "Pansy! When I get my hands on you-"

"Miss Jones, that is _enough_!" Snape glared daggers at the girl.

"Fine!" She threw her hands up in the air and stomped all the way out of the dungeons.

'Stupid Snape. Stupid Pansy.' She suddenly lost her appetite and walked through the corridors, not really caring where she was going. 'It's so unfair. My whole life is unfair. Why did _I_ have to change into a girl? Why do these things always have to happen to me? This is all so stupid and unfair…' She stopped and leaned again the nearest wall, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I hate this…" She grumbled to herself, running a hand through her hair. "I hate all of this. I want this to be over with. No more skirts, no more Slytherins, no more stupid hair to get all over the place, no more stupid bras and no more stupid periods!" Haley slid down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees. 'Why couldn't I have a normal life? Why couldn't I have Seamus's life? It seems normal enough. Or maybe Blaise's. I don't know him _too_ well but I'm sure his life is more normal than mine.' Haley groaned. 'I thought that after Voldemort was gone, there'd at least be no more weird situations going on… Boy was I wrong…The next thing I know, I'm a girl. A _Slytherin_ girl none-the-less … My life would be so much better had I not taken that stupid potion. My emotions wouldn't be on the fritz, I'm sure. I wouldn't have to be a Slytherin and I wouldn't have to bother with stupid pug-faced Pansy and that grease-ball Snape. There's nothing that I would miss terribly had I not been changed into a girl…' She frowned at this statement, not really knowing why.

"Haley?"

The girl looked up to see Blaise leaving the hospital wing.

'The hospital wing? When did I get here?'

"Haley, are you all right?" Blaise looked down at her, worry shining through his eyes in her lack of response.

Haley snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at Blaise. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, positive."

"What were you doing, just sitting out here?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't even know how I got here."

The blonde looked at her curiously, tilting his head to the side. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Haley nodded. Wanting to change the subject, she looked at the infirmary doors. "So, how's Draco?"

"Better. He's sleeping now, though. I was just about to go to the Great Hall to get some dinner.

"Right."

"Did you already have something to eat?" Blaise cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Haley lied. "Loads. I'm stuffed." She patted her stomach for affect.

Blaise smirked. "Right then. I'll see you later, Haley."

"Bye Blaise." She watched as he disappeared around the corner.

The girl looked back at the infirmary doors. It was then that she realized that all she wanted right now was to see a friendly face. She knew that if she had gone to Ron, he would have teased her and if she went to Hermione, she would have lectured her about something. And she didn't want either of those. But Draco…She sighed. She wanted to see Draco.

Haley opened the door and poked her head through. Madame Pomfrey was nowhere in sight and all the beds were vacant except one. Haley smiled to herself and walked over to the sleeping Draco.

The candlelight gave Draco's pale skin and platinum locks a heavenly glow, somewhat surprising Haley. She had spent the better part of the past seven years believing the pure-blood to be nothing more than Satan's spawn. But now, listening to the gentle sounds of Draco's rhythmic breathing, Haley could think of nothing other than how ethereal he looked.

Quietly and carefully as to not disturb the boy, Haley pulled up a chair next to Draco's bed. 'He looks so peaceful…' She smiled. Haley dropped her head onto the bed, hiding her face in her arms as she replayed the day's events in her mind. 'Snape's still a biased jerk, Pansy's still stupid, Ethan's still a mystery, and as for me…I'm a mystery myself. No preference? Where did _that_ come from?'

As Haley wondered whether or not she really _did_ have a preference, Draco stirred from his slumber. He exhaled deeply before opening a sleepy, silver eye. In seeing a mop of black hair next to him, Draco opened his other eye and stretched his limbs. "Haley?"

The girl in question looked up. "Sorry. Did I disturb you?"

The blonde shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

"I said I was coming back." She stood up. "But if you don't want me here, that can easily be arranged." The girl headed towards the door.

Draco frowned. "Jones, come back here." He sat up on the bed as she turned and sat back down in the chair. "I meant, why aren't you having supper right now?"

Haley sighed. "I wasn't hungry."

"Why? What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked gently.

"I'm just frustrated. I needed a place where I could relax."

"So you came to the hospital wing?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't come here intentionally. I was just walking down the corridors and the next thing I knew, I was standing outside the infirmary doors."

"I think you like me." Draco smirked.

"What? You're crazy."

"You just _happened_ to be at the Hospital Wing, knowing that I'm here? I think your subconscious led you here because you fancy me."

"Ugh. Why does everyone keep saying that?" She threw her hands up in the air. "And no matter how many times I say that I don't, people just choose to ignore it."

"I'm just teasing you, Jones."

"Which is exactly why I didn't go see Ron."

"The Weasel?"

Haley glared at the nickname. "Hey. Ron's my friend."

"He calls _me_ 'ferret'." Draco frowned.

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, if I wanted someone to tease me, I would have gone to Ron."

"All right. I'm sorry. You just need to relax. People are going to believe whatever they want-"

"Oh my gosh, you're lecturing me." She gave an exasperated sigh. "If I wanted a lecture, I would have gone to Hermione."

"Well then what am _I_ here for? Why did you come to _me_?"

"So you could be a _friend_. Not a teacher, not a clown, but a friend." Haley sighed and dropped her head on the bed again. She said something more, but it was muffled against the mattress.

"What?" Draco asked.

The girl peeked up over her arms. "I said, 'You're supposed to protect me.'"

Draco smiled slightly and patted the bed, motioning Haley to sit with him. Once she was situated, Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, resting his head atop hers. "I can't promise that I'll make all your problems go away, but while you're with me... I'll do my best to keep them away."

Haley smiled, turning to look at the boy. "Thanks, Draco."

Draco smiled in return. "Hey. What are friends for?"

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Harry Potter characters. Although I do own a pair of glasses that are somewhat similar to those of one particular scar-studded Gryffindor. By this, I mean Harry. Duh. 

The photo. I'm sure the issue of the photo shall arise once more in a later chapter. I hope you have a fun time with this one as I wrote it instead of carrying out a different task. It is now 12:34 in the morning and I have yet to go to bed. Thank you all for keeping me awake at night. Haha. I'm just kidding. I didn't mind it one bit.

To those of you who think Harry's acting too much like a girl...Bah Humbug. For now, I blame it on the hormones. He's not used to it yet, I guess. But don't worry. Soon, testosterone will fly through the air. Most likely on broomsticks. Gasp! Is that foreshadowing? Maybe. Only if what I think is the definition for foreshadowing is correct.

Ethan and Pansy and Blaise...oh my...Yes, there was a point in having Haley and Ethan do their homework together. Ummm...sorry to any Americans who might have been offended by the "stupid Americans" comment. Harry is only upset that Snape was being unfair and thus the "grease-ball" comment. Things will change. Snape yelled "Miss Jones" as opposed to "Mr. Potter" simply because he believes that other students may hear him through their doors. Eavesdropping ickle buggahs...Maybe. I do believe that Harry got to the hospital wing because of his subconscious no matter how much he denies it.

This one is for doxie who simply requested an early Christmas gift. And if I don't get one out sooner than the end of the holidays, Happy Christmas and Merry New Year, everybody. Hope you have a fantabulous time.


	9. Detention With Binns

The Exchange

* * *

Haley groaned. She felt a little groggy and her forehead felt as if she were on fire. And the monotonous drone of Professor Binn's voice did not help the situation. 

Filch's idea of a horrible detention was to make the girl run chores for the various teachers of the school. And on her very first night, she was forced to work with Professor Binns, the teacher of the History of Magic. When Haley first reached the professor's classroom, she was a little bit grateful at how the teacher just began to start talking, lecturing the girl about proper conduct in the Hogwarts halls. He seemed to be distracted by what he was saying, for he hadn't ordered the girl to do a thing. But after three hours, Haley was amazed that she still had enough energy to keep herself awake. What started with a lecture about proper conduct soon branched off from one thing to another until he started to lecture about pureblooded families.

"A famous pureblooded family dated back to the time of the Renaissance is the McClarin family. A family full of bright children and adults alike. But with the rise of Voldemort, sadly, this family died out, not leaving a single heir to the family name.

"And of course, there are the Malfoys."

Haley snapped her eyes open, her interest piqued.

"The Malfoys can be dated back for a very long time as well. They are a very strong, prideful and intelligent family. Always having been considered a dark family, the Malfoys were always presumed to have some sort of Veela blood in their veins for their beauty could draw in the most flaccid of all men and women alike. However, this has never been proven but I'm sure you could ask the young Mr. Malfoy that if you feel so inclined."

Haley made a mental note to ask Draco about his bloodline. It would be interesting to know a person with Veela blood in them other than Fleur DelaCour. Haley snapped out of her thoughts and continued to listen to the professor.

"-is also apart of a strong pureblooded family. In fact, she was apart of one of the longest lines of pureblooded families, dated back from the times of Merlin. Known for their complete loyalty to one another, their family bonds made the Mavillian family strong and powerful. But it didn't necessarily mean that they were good people, no, definitely not. I do recall, many years back, an Emiry Mavillian had grown keen on the darker aspects of magic. So, her family, being as loyal as they were to her, studied the dark arts as well and defended her with all the strength they could muster up…" The professor paused, looking at the ground, his expression matching that of someone lost.

"What happened to the Mavillian family? And Emiry?" Haley asked, enraptured by the story.

The professor looked up. "Oh…errr…let me think. Ah, yes. The Mavillian family. They were hunted down by the early Ministry of Magic. They were captured and sent to Azkaban for practicing the Dark Arts. The only person to break off from the family was a Nathalia Mavillian. She would have been stripped of the family name but since she was the only one who could produce an heir, a Mavillian she remained. The rest passed on within the cells of Azkaban."

"So wait, there's someone here who's a part of the Mavillian bloodline?"

"Wait, no. She graduated a few years ago. Bright girl, that Natasha. The brightest in my class." The professor looked up, as if remembering the girl.

"Natasha Mavillian?"

"Hmm? Oh. Oh, dear me. It's getting late, isn't it? I didn't get a chance to ask you to stack that pile of books into the shelves, now did I? Oh well. You better be off, then."

"But what about Na-"

"Good night, Mr. Potter." And with that, Professor Binns floated through the door and disappeared from the room.

Haley sighed. "Why couldn't he start talking about that from the beginning?" Haley stood up and prepared to leave but took a glance at the pile of books. "Aw, why not?" She pulled out her wand and with a flick of the wrist, the books floated onto the shelves in alphabetical order. Haley smiled and left the room.

On her way back to the dungeons, Haley apparently had zoned out, paying little attention to who or what may be standing in her path. It was no surprise that she happened to have crashed into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's all right. No harm, no foul." The boy chuckled.

Haley looked up at him. He was at least a whole foot taller than she was, and at least half a foot taller than how she normally was as Harry. All she could say was "Whoa…"

Again, the boy merely chuckled. "You're Hallie, right?"

"It's Haley…" she corrected.

"Oh, right. Haley Jones." The girl nodded. "My name's Leir. Leir Valex."

As she shook his hand, she looked at the boy questioningly. "I've never seen you here before."

Leir cocked an eyebrow. "Well, there are quite a number of students here and you've only been here less than two weeks." He smiled.

"Right…I just meant – you're so tall. I figured I might've spot you by now."

Another chuckle. "I'm new here. I came at the beginning of the term."

"Ah. So you're a newbie too." The Slytherin smiled. The boy nodded. "So what's it like being in Hufflepuff?"

Leir looked confused for a moment. "How did you…?"

"It says so on your robes. And your tie…it's Hufflepuff colors."

Leir looked down at his robes. "Oh right." He smiled. "Of course. Hufflepuff's all right, I guess. I don't really know anybody. I mostly keep to myself. But because I do, it makes people think I'm snotty and stuck up. I just let them believe as they wish."

"Hm. Well, as far as I can tell, you don't seem stuck up in the slightest bit."

He smiled. "Thank you. Well, it's getting late. I suppose I'll see you around?" Haley nodded. "Right then. Good night, Miss Jones."

"Good night." Haley watched as Leir walked away. It was weird to her that she had never spotted the boy before tonight. Sure he was new, but he was here for at least three months without notice. It made Haley reevaluate her relationships with the other students of Hogwarts. Suddenly feeling exhausted, followed by the largest yawn Haley had ever known, she continued her way back down towards the dungeons.

Upon entering the Slytherin common room, Haley spotted Draco sitting by a fireplace, reading a book. Feeling utterly drained, she plopped onto the couch, her head a few inches from Draco's lap.

"Well don't you look particularly horrid?" The Head Boy smirked, looking down at her from his book.

"Haha…you're so funny. You should do stand-up." Haley replied dryly.

Draco simply rolled his eyes. "How was punishment?"

The girl groaned. "Listening to Professor Binns lecture for nearly three hours straight isn't my ideal sort of detention." Draco scoffed. "But…things did get interesting towards the end."

"Really? How so?"

"He started talking about bloodlines. Particularly purebloods."

The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "Go on."

"The first family he talked about was the McClavion family."

"You mean McClarin?"

"Right. He said as brilliant as they were, their bloodline was cut short because of Voldemort."

"It's quite a tragedy, you know. My mother was a friend to them."

"Really? Small world."

"Not really. My family always took pride in purebloods. We would only mingle with the best. That's why if the McClarin family ever produced a female heir, I was to be engaged."

Haley's gaze darted towards the blonde. "Really?"

Draco nodded. "But, like I said, it was a tragedy."

"So wait. You would only marry a pureblooded witch?"

The boy paused for a moment. "It would be ideal. I'm not saying it's absolute, but having the idea that pure bloodlines are the best being rammed into my brain since I was three isn't something to easily overlook."

"Hm." Haley shrugged. "Oh, yeah. Hey, Draco. Do you have any Veela blood?"

Draco blinked at the question. "What?"

"Veela blood. Do you have any running through your veins?"

"What possessed you to ask such a question?"

"Professor Binns also mentioned the Malfoy family. He said that your family was assumed to have Veela blood in them because-"

"Of our beauty, right?" Draco scoffed.

Haley nodded.

"Just because we're drop dead gorgeous, people assume it's all magic. We can't help it if we're beautiful."

It was Haley's turn to scoff. "Oh please."

"You can't lie there and tell me you don't find me a bit attractive."

"Actually, right now, I find you a bit arrogant and slightly revolting." She smiled.

"Deny it all you want, Jones, you know you want me."

"Yeah, I want you to get you head out of the clouds and realize that you aren't as great as you think you are."

Draco gasped, placing a hand over his chest. "I'm offended!" He exaggerated. "I _know_ I'm as great as I think I am. And then some."

Haley laughed. "You're utterly hopeless." She yawned.

"Why don't you get to bed?"

"Because I'm too exhausted to move."

Draco rolled his eyes. He stood up, leaving his book on the now vacant seat. "Come on. Let's get you to bed, then."

"Ugh. Why can't I just stay here by the nice toasty fire?" Instead of replying, Draco held the girl by her wrists and pulled her up. Haley groaned. "Hey. I was comfy…"

"Just think of how comfy you'll be in your nice warm bed…your wrists feel like they're on fire."

"I blame that on you."

"What? Why?"

"I caught your cold."

"I told you, you would. That's what you get for drinking my soup."

"Fine, fine. If you let me sleep here, I'll never bring you soup again."

Draco smirked but spun around and crouched down. He pulled Haley's arms around his neck and proceeded to carry her horseback style. "And you said that _I_ needed to diet. Good thing I'm so strong."

Haley smirked. "I'm only heavy from all the muscles I have. You, you're just fat." The girl yawned again. "Draco? Have you ever hear of a guy named Leir Valex?"

Draco was quiet for a moment, trying to see if he recognized the name. "No. Why?"

"I bumped into him in the hall." She replied, lazily. "I've never seen him around before."

"Then he's either one of the lower years, a new student, or a Hufflepuff."

Haley snorted. "How can you assume that he's a Hufflepuff just because you've never heard of him?"

"Because I've yet to hear a Hufflepuff perform an achieve anything significant at this school. They're simply there for the rest of the school to pick on and ridicule."

Haley frowned. "You don't honestly believe that do you?"

Again, Draco rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. But I do believe that the Slytherins are the superior of all the Houses."

Haley smirked. "That's only because I arrived and was sorted into it. Otherwise, you'd all be lost without me."

Draco simply laughed, before crouching down so Haley could unlock her room. He opened the door and placed her down. "You think you can change yourself? I wouldn't mind if you needed help." He smirked.

"Ew. Perv." She gave him a friendly shove before grabbing her clothes to change in the bathroom.

Draco glanced around the room. He spotted the girl's trunk at the base of the bed. He looked at it curiously.

Haley came out of the bathroom and quickly hopped into the nice warm and comfy bed.

"What does the 'P' stand for?" Draco asked.

"Huh?" Haley opened her eyes and followed Draco's gaze to the trunk. "Oh that."

"Why's it 'HP'?"

"Errr…The 'P's for my middle name. Haley Piper Jones."

"Oh. Then where's the 'J'?"

"Honestly, Draco. I'll carve the 'J' myself if you'll let me sleep."

The boy hopped onto the bed, next to Haley. "It's not like we have classes tomorrow or anything. You're lucky you got sick on the weekend."

"But it'd still be nice to get some rest. And you're supposed to take care of me now that I'm sick and this is no way to take care of me."

"All right, all right. I hope you feel better in the morning."

"Thank you." Haley slipped off her glasses and shut her eyes.

"Haley?"

"Bugger off."

"Do you really find me unattractive?"

Haley opened one eye and looked at Draco. She sighed. "No, Draco. I think you're beautiful."

Draco smiled. "I knew it! You fancy me."

She glared at the blonde. "Ugh. You're horrible. Piss off already."

"Grumpy."

"Again, _your_ fault."

"All right." The boy climbed off the bed and stood at the doorway. "Good night, Haley."

"Night, Draco."

Draco turned, locked the door from the inside and left the room.

Haley opened her eyes and sat up. 'Did I really just tell Draco that I find him beautiful?'

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and all other Harry Potter characters and whatnot. Ethan and Leir belong to me. Yes.

So, pronunciation time. Maybe it should have come sooner but oh well. I guess I didn't know how to pronounce it myself until now. Haley is pronounced HAYlee, not HALlee. Leir is pronounced LEER. And yeah. You can figure everything else out.

This is kinda a boring chapter, but I guess it's necessary for whatever may come next. To the Hufflepuff fans, Draco didn't mean it. It was a joke. Hufflepuffs are supposed to be very intelligent in Herbology, a VERY important subject, if I do say so myself. What else? Leir. I suppose he's important. And so is whatever Professor Binns has to say. And now it's the weekend, storywise and Haley's sick. Ha. Everyone who saw it coming, please say "Aye." Yeah.

After a little bit of anger on my part, coming from a source I shall keep anonymous, I hadn't wanted to write for a while. I had even thought to simply pull all my stories off and keep them all to myself (like the little greedy bugger that I can be once in a while). But that wasn't fair to everyone else who didn't piss me off who actually likes to read these, so here I remain. So this one is for all the readers who stay on the positive side. And that's all I have to say about that.

Thanks for reading.


	10. Food For All

The Exchange

* * *

'Where am I?' 

Haley looked around. She was definitely still in Hogwarts as she recognized the corridor to the dungeons.

"Ahhhh!"

Haley jumped, startled at the scream. The source was easily found for when she looked to her right, she saw Pansy hiding her face and running as fast as she could down the corridor.

"Pansy?" Haley called, as the girl passed.

The brunette slowed down to a stop. She turned and uncovered her face.

Haley gasped, before throwing her hands over her mouth to fight off the oncoming urge to laugh. There, on Pansy's face, were boils the size of marbles. Just then, one particular boil on the brunette's nose began to grow even larger. The green-eyed girl watched on in amusement.

"Ewww…get them off!" Pansy whined. She turned and ran away once more.

"Hmmm…" Haley frowned. "That was extremely odd…"

"Hello there, my friend!"

Haley turned to see Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas standing behind her, grins on their faces.

"What are you two so happy about?" Haley asked.

"I know a little secret…" Dean smiled.

"Yes, and I found some money on the floor. Who wouldn't be happy?" The Irish boy shrugged.

Haley smiled at her friends.

"Well, I suppose we should be off." Dean said. "Come on, Seamus."

"Right-o." Seamus took Dean's hand and they both flew up through the castle's ceiling.

The Slytherin girl stared in wonder. 'What is going on here?'

"Hi! My name's Leir."

Haley spun around, and sure enough, the boy named Leir was standing there.

"Ummm…Hi Leir." Leir simply smiled and waved at the girl. "What's new?"

Leir laughed. "I am!" Haley, despite how odd this all was couldn't help but chuckle. "Bye now!"

"Bye Leir." She waved at the boy as he walked straight through a wall.

"Potter!"

Haley jumped and spun around only to come face to face with Draco Malfoy. She looked at him in confusion. "Potter?"

"How _dare_ you betray me like this. Is this your sort of idea of fun?" The Head Boy looked extremely angry.

"Wait, you know?"

"Goodness, man, the whole school knows. They saw you transform. Including me!"

"What? Transform?" Haley looked down only to see that she was in fact a boy again. "When did this happen?" Harry reached up to touch his hair which was back to being short again.

"Come off it, Potter. I thought Haley was my friend. You were just using me. You were just playing with me."

"No, that's not true!" Harry instantly recognized the change in his voice, wondering how he could have missed the deepness of it.

"Like hell it's not true. I honestly thought Haley was a good person. She was one of my closest friends, maybe even one of my best. But, no. It was all just a game. Not only did you play with my emotions, you played with my heart."

"No, Draco, I can explain-"

"I don't want to hear it!" The blonde crossed his arms over his chest.

"But Draco, please. It wasn't a game to me and I wasn't trying to play you. I don't know how or when this happened but I swear, you mean a lot to me. More than I ever imagined."

"Bullocks." Draco sneered. "Even if what you said was all true, there's no way I'd be your friend. You're Harry Potter. The son of a Mudblood mother and a loony father."

Harry took a step back. Anger, betrayal, hurt, and disappointment shone through emerald irises. "How dare you say those things about my parents…What happened to the nice Draco? What happened to the Draco that let me borrow his sweater when I was cold? What happened to the Draco that calculated the time it would take for me to come see him? Why can't I be friends with _that_ Draco?"

The boy in question took a step forward so that their faces were almost touching. Harry could feel the other boy's breathe upon his cheek.

"…That Draco died the moment Haley Jones became Harry Potter." There was no denying the hatred in his voice or the hatred in his eyes. Draco spun around and walked away into the dark corridor.

"Draco…no…" Harry felt his knees give way as he fought a losing battle with his oncoming tears. Sobs began to rack his shoulders as tears stained his cheeks. "When did this happen? How could this have happened?"

"Don't cry, Harry Potter."

Harry looked up. There, crouching in front of him, was Ethan Maxwell smiling gently at the raven-haired boy. "Ethan?"

"Don't tell me you already forgot about me now that you're back in Gryffindor." Ethan smirked.

"You…you're not mad at me? I mean, for lying to you?"

"Not at all. I'm sure I would have done the same thing if put into your position." The Slytherin reached up and wiped away the tears falling down Harry's face. "Don't cry, Harry Potter…" Ethan whispered, hazel eyes locked onto green. He pulled the other boy into an embrace that Harry gladly accepted.

Harry cried upon Ethan's shoulder. He cried out his confusion and his pain. He cried until all that was left was the sound of his own heartbeat. Harry frowned. His heartbeat was getting louder. Confused, he opened his eyes…

…To see a canopy of silver and green.

'What?' Haley sat up, her hair falling over her shoulders. 'My hair…it's still long.' She looked down. 'I still have breasts…'

Haley sighed. "It was a dream." Haley flopped back down into her bed, only to shoot right back up when she noticed that her pillow was wet. She touched her cheek and sure enough, there were trails of tears. "I was crying in my sleep?"

A knock came at her door. "Jones, are you up yet? I've been standing here, knocking, for ten minutes already."

Haley's attention shot towards the door. 'So that's what woke me up…' "Draco?"

"Well, who else would it be?"

"Snape, Blaise, Ethan…Hell, it might've even been Pansy trying to hex me."

"Blah, blah, blah…Just let me in already, will you?"

Haley quickly flipped over her pillow to the dry side and wiped her face with her sleeves. She hopped off her bed, instantly missing its warmth, and feeling the effects of her cold. She grabbed her glasses and hurried to the door. Outside was a slightly annoyed Draco, arms crossed and eyebrow cocked.

"Were you really out here for ten minutes?" Haley asked, not letting the boy in just yet.

"Nope. Probably only three, but ten sounded more dramatic."

Haley smiled and let the boy in before hurrying back into her nice, comfy bed.

Draco hopped on right next to the girl. "Since it's already well into the morning and you apparently missed your breakfast, I brought you some soup. Just as you did for me when I was sick." Haley smiled again as Draco handed her a thermos. "I decided not to get you a bowl because you're such a slob when you eat and I wouldn't want you to spill all over your bed."

The raven-haired girl scoffed. "Jerk." She shoved Draco on his shoulder before opening the thermos.

Draco smiled at their transaction. Had it been anyone else, he was sure that he wouldn't have let him or her off so easily. In fact, no one else really had the gall to even touch him, believing that he would hex anyone that did on the spot. But to him, Haley was different. And truly did enjoy the bouts they shared when they were all in good fun.

Haley grinned. Her insides were warm with heat of the soup. Or so she liked to think. "You know, this is nice. I think you should bring me breakfast in bed everyday from now on."

Draco scoffed. "You wish. You should feel honored that I'm doing this for you at all. It's completely beneath me."

The girl rolled her green eyes. "And just what makes _you_ so high and mighty?"

"Not only am I rich and drop-dead gorgeous, but apparently I have the intelligence to match."

"Apparently, nothing. Didn't you know, Draco? Looks are deceiving."

"But in my case, dear Haley, they're dead on."

"Ugh…you're so full of yourself."

"And yet, you still love me."

"Love? Draco Malfoy, I have never, in my life, despised a person as much as I do you."

Draco didn't respond. Instead, in one brief moment, he leaned in and kissed Haley on the cheek, leaving the girl in utter surprise. The blonde smiled. "Now Miss Jones, if you truly despised me, why are you blushing?"

Haley snapped out of it and glared at Draco. "I am _not_ blushing. How dare you take advantage of a person who is ill. You're disgusting."

Draco merely continued to smile. "Admit it, Jones. You fancy me."

"I think your cold is returning."

"Well then if I have a cold and _you_ have a cold, I suppose we must take care of each other now, shouldn't we?"

Haley took a final sip of her soup and sighed. "I suppose we shall." She screwed the cap back on the thermos and placed it on her nightstand before sinking back into her bed. "Thank you for the soup."

Draco placed an arm around Haley's shoulders, making the girl snuggle in closer to his body. "You're very welcome."

From under the covers, Haley rolled onto her side and slowly felt herself getting sleeping. "Draco?" she asked lazily.

"Hm?"

"If I weren't who you expected me to be…would you still be my friend?"

The boy was quiet for a moment, mulling over the question. Then, "As long as you're you, I'll always be your friend."

Haley sighed, not really knowing if that answer was a good thing or a bad thing. But after a while, neither could have possibly cared, for they had both fallen asleep.

**---**

Well after lunchtime, Hermione was reading a book when she heard a tapping on her window. She opened it and in flew Hedwig. The owl dropped a piece of parchment into the girl's hand before flying away. Confused, Hermione opened the parchment and read it.

_Hey Hermione. Let me in. Harry_

Hermione rolled her eyes at the small command but did as she was told anyway. She made her way through the Gryffindor common room over to the entrance and sure enough, standing outside was her friend.

"Hello, Haley."

"Good morning, Hermione." Haley greeted through her stuffy nose.

"Wow. You sound horrible." Hermione frowned. "Why aren't you in the hospital wing?"

"Because it's just a little cold. I'll be fine. Plus, I wanted to talk to you about something. Can we go to your room?"

"Sure. What about Ron?"

Haley sighed. "Not this time. As dear as Ron is to me, I don't think he'd take what I have to say seriously."

Hermione looked at her friend, worry evident in her eyes. "Harry, what's wrong?" She lowered her voice.

"Can we go to your room?" She repeated. The brunette nodded and turned to head towards her room, Haley trailing behind sniffling every now and again.

When they entered the room, Hermione paused and looked over her friend. "So, what's the matter?" They both took a seat upon the Head Girl's bed.

"Well…nothing's wrong. I just…I guess I reached some sort of epiphany that I just wanted to talk about."

"Go on…"

Haley hesitated. "Apparently…I have come to the conclusion that I have no preference."

"No preference about what?"

"About my sexual orientation."

Hermione blinked. "You mean you're bisexual."

"Not really…to be bisexual, you have to like people of both sexes. And other than Cho Chang, I haven't really found anyone else that I like in that sort of way."

"So basically, you'll like whomever it is you find attractive, no matter what gender?" Haley nodded. Hermione exhaled and looked to the side. "Wow. That's something very strange to learn of one of your best friends."

"You're not disgusted are you?"

Hermione looked back up at her friend. "Of course not! I'm a little surprised, yeah, but you're my best friend Harry, and it doesn't matter to me who you love as long as you're happy."

Haley smiled and hugged her friend. "Thanks 'Mione."

"No problem. So what inspired such a conclusion? Or should I be asking 'who'?"

"It's weird, actually. I was having an argument with Pansy and I just blurted out that I had no preference. And actually thinking about it made me realize that it's the truth."

"So Pansy thinks that Haley has no preference."

The Slytherin nodded.

"And this argument. Is this why you were given a detention for a week?"

Again, she nodded. "But she started it. She provoked me. She should have been given a detention as well. It's not fair. It's all Snape's fault. That man is out to get me, I swear."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Harry. Snape isn't out to get you. You're exaggerating."

The other girl simply crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "You'd defend anyone that was a professor."

The girls just laughed.

"You know what I just realized?" Hermione said once their laughter had died down.

"What?"

"I haven't seen that much of you since the beginning of this transformation. You've been spending an awfully large amount of time with the Slytherins that you so claim to hate."

"I never said that I hated the Slytherins. Yes, they can be nasty and stuck-up but that gave me no reason to hate them."

"Fair enough. But I do recall you claiming that you hated a particular Slytherin that you don't seem to have a problem with anymore."

Haley blushed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Hermione laughed. "Oh please, Harry. I've seen how close you and Malfoy seem to be getting. I rarely ever see you two apart, even at meals."

Haley's blush only grew deeper. "It's nothing like that. We're only friends."

"Well, you should see Ron. He's getting positively jealous."

"Of what? There's _nothing_ going on."

"I know. But think about it Harry. You and Ron have always been at each other's side since the first day you met. Sure there were rough times but you two always managed to pull through. And suddenly, you're not there anymore."

"But…I'm right here!"

"But instead of Ron at your side, it's Malfoy. The one person Ron can barely stand to be in the same school with."

Haley paused. "Where is Ron?"

Hermione shrugged. "He's probably in his dorm or out in the common room."

"All right. Keep your door unlocked. I'll be right back." And with that, Haley swiftly made her way out of the room into the common room to search for her redheaded friend. When he wasn't in sight, Haley made her way up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. When she reached the door that used to be to her own room, she flung it open, not caring who else might be inside. "Ron?"

"Hey! Girls aren't supposed to be up here." Seamus grinned. He and Dean were playing a game of Wizard's Chess on Seamus' bed. Ron was watching the two, giving tips here and there.

"He has a point you know." Ron said, smirking at his friend.

Haley simply rolled her eyes, but smiled in return. "C'mon Ron. It's time that you and I did a little bonding."

"Hey," Seamus pouted. "What about us? When do _we_ get to bond?"

"Perhaps some other time, Seamus. I'm feeling a little ill."

"I'll hold you to it then." The Irish boy grinned before returning to his game.

Ron followed his friends out the door. "So what's this all about, Harry?" He whispered to the girl.

"It's just as I said."

"What? To bond?"

"Sure."

"Harry, mate. Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine, despite my cold."

The two made their way to Hermione's room, the Head girl still seated on her bed with a book in her hands.

"Hermione. I can't leave you for two seconds without you sticking your nose back into a book, can I?"

The brunette closed her book and tossed a half-hearted glare at the other girl.

"So…we're all here in Hermione's room…to bond."

Haley took a seat next to Hermione on the bed. "Yes."

Ron shook his head. "Women…" He couldn't have possibly ducked in time to avoid two oncoming pillows. With a chuckle, Ron hopped onto Hermione's bed after giving his girlfriend a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Actually, Ron…. I do have something to tell you…" Haley said slowly.

"What? Did Snape finally find the antidote? Are you coming back? Will I not have to worry about the Quidditch game in a few weeks?"

"No, but now you're making _me_ worry." Haley frowned. Again, she had completely forgotten about the Quidditch game that she couldn't possibly play in until Professor Snape found the antidote. And if they had no Seeker, they would have to either find a replacement or forfeit that game entirely.

"Now look what you've gone and done, Ron." Hermione chastised her boyfriend.

"It's not like I did it on purpose."

"All right! Don't start your squabbling just yet, you two." Haley interrupted.

"Right, right. What were you going to say to us, Harry?" Ron asked, hunching over so his arms rested on his legs.

"Actually, Hermione already knows. We were talking about it before I decided to come get you. In fact, I wasn't all too sure if I wanted to tell you at all."

Ron gaped. "What is so serious that I couldn't be informed?"

"I guess I'll take this moment to take a brief walk outside." Hermione interrupted. "Be back in a sec."

"Hermione!" Haley frowned.

"Go on. It'll be all right."

Ron was still looking at Haley, an expectant look in his eye. "Well?"

"Well…" Haley started. She looked over at Hermione who gave her a nod of encouragement, before the brunette went out the door. "It's nothing bad…it's just…"

"It's just what?" Ron asked, confused and a little suspicious.

"I…have no preference…."

"Over what?"

"Men and women…"

Ron only stared on, his expression blank. "What?"

"I have no preference over men and-"

"No, I heard you the first time. What does that mean?"

Haley sighed. "It means…I'm not straight…" Ron gasped at this. Haley quickly added, "That doesn't mean I'm gay either!"

"So what? Are you bi?"

"Not exactly."

"You're gonna have to help me out with this Harry. What does this 'I'm not gay, I'm not straight' bit mean?"

"It means exactly what I said it to be. I have no preference when it comes to the gender of a person I'm interested in. I don't prefer men to women and I can't really say I prefer women to men since the only person I've ever liked was Cho Chang."

"So you don't prefer men. And you don't prefer women…."

"Right. I don't care about gender as long as I care about the person."

Ron still looked confused. "How did you come to this conclusion?"

Haley shook her head. "I don't know. I just thought about it and it fit."

"But how do you know?"

"I haven't really been attracted to any girls since Cho. And I don't ever think I've been attracted to a boy either."

"So why does that have to mean what you think it means? Why can't you just say that none of the girls at this school are attractive to you and that it just means you're a picky straight guy?"

"Because I honestly don't care about gender!" Haley was getting upset with Ron's response. She never expected him to respond in such a manner that made him seem as if he were finding an excuse for his friend's decision. "Honestly, Ron, does it really matter to you if I'm straight? Would you not be my friend if I said I were a poof?"

Ron froze for a moment, his expression intense but still a little confused. Haley feared for the worse. "Harry, I…Of course I'd be your friend! How could you ever doubt such a thing?"

"I just – I don't know…" She looked down at the Gryffindor sheets.

"Harry. It's a little weird, yeah, but just because you can choose from both teams doesn't make you any less my friend."

The girl looked up and couldn't help but chuckle. "That's a nice way of putting it." She replied sarcastically.

Ron was smiling now. "You are my best friend, no matter who you go to bed with."

"Ron!"

"It's true."

Haley smiled. She threw her arms around Ron's neck. "Ronald Weasley, you're the best best friend I could ever have in the whole entire world!" She planted a kiss on her friend's cheek.

"Right, mate. Just please don't tell me you 'prefer' _me_! 'Mione would throw a fit!"

The two best friends laughed.

"Well, I'm glad that's over with." Hermione said as she came back into her room. "Did you tell him about Malfoy?"

If they could, Ron's eyes would have jumped out of their sockets. "What about Malfoy! Please Harry. Please do _not_ tell me you _prefer_ Malfoy!"

"No! Of course not. What Hermione is referring to is that fact that Malfoy and I are friends."

The redhead groaned. "But…Malfoy?"

"I suppose I should leave again." Hermione said, hurrying back out the door.

"You have to admit, he's been nicer over the years. I've pretty much forgotten the last time he ever truly tormented us."

"True…but _Malfoy_?"

"He's actually pretty nice when you're on his good side."

"Are we talking about the same Malfoy here?"

"Look. I know we've had history with him, but he's really not that bad. He's actually a pretty good friend. He even brought me soup this morning."

"What? Malfoy brought you soup this morning? _Draco_ Malfoy brought you soup?"

"I know. I would have thought it a crazy notion as well three weeks ago."

Ron sighed and looked at the bed. "Well just tell me one thing then. Just tell me that you don't fancy him and it'll all be all right." The momentary silence struck panic in the blue-eyed boy's heart. "Harry. _Please_ tell me you don't fancy Malfoy."

"I…errr…." The girl looked away.

"Harry!"

"I did tell him that I found him attractive."

"You _what?_" Ron stared in shock.

"He asked me if I found him disgusting and I couldn't just lie to him…"

"Sure you can. I do it all the time. My mum asks me if I've done my chores, I say 'yes, ma'am.' It's as simple as that."

"Well unlike you, I can't simply lie to a person I'm close to-"

"Now wait a second! Now you're _close_ to him? I thought you were just friends, buddies, pals. Sure you find him attractive but friends are attracted to each other sometimes. But now you're _close_ to him?"

"Ron, you're blowing this out of proportion."

"I don't think I am. Did you or did you not say that you couldn't lie to Malfoy?"

"I did-"

"And did you or did you not just say you could lie to people that you're close to?"

"Well, yes but-"

"Well, enough said! You're close to Malfoy!"

"Ron! Calm down, will you?"

"I am calm!"

"No you're not!"

Ron opened his mouth to say something more, but Haley held up a finger to silence him. The two sat in silence for a moment, eyes locked upon one another.

It was Ron who was first to break the silence. "Just answer me this. Would you still feel the same way if you weren't a girl right now?"

Haley exhaled, looked at her hands before looking back up at her friend. "I honestly don't know. Maybe if the potion changed me into a guy that looks completely different from me and I still had to live with the Slytherins, I might end up feeling the same. But I can't know that for sure because I did change into a girl. A girl that just happened to befriend Draco Malfoy enough to see his good side. And as a boy or a girl, I'd still have to admit that Malfoy is pretty attractive, despite how big of an arse he can be." Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Haley continued on. "I don't fancy him and I don't prefer him. And I might never fancy or prefer him. But right now, he's the greatest friend I could have in a den of Slytherins. And I need to know right now, Ron. If I ever did start fancying or preferring Malfoy or any other person you might not like, would you still be my friend?"

"Of course. I may never understand why you would ever _want_ to prefer him, but if you do, I'll be there by your side, no matter what. That's what best friends are for."

Haley smiled. "Thanks Ron."

Ron stretched his legs and rested his head on his arm. "Why couldn't you prefer someone better…like Seamus or Dean?"

Haley scoffed. "I think _they_ have a preference of their own."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When it comes to matters of the heart, you're completely and entirely blind to it, Ronald Weasley."

"Speak for yourself, Harry Potter."

"_Anyway_…next time you're with both of them, pay close attention. They're awfully close. If they're not already, they'll end up being more than friends."

"Well…they _are_ always with each other…and I oftentimes catch Dean staring at Seamus."

"See. I think they already prefer each other."

Ron scoffed. "Next thing you'll tell me is that Lavender and Padma prefer one another."

"You never know. Hormones are flying everywhere in the halls of Hogwarts."

Ron snorted. "Moving on…so what did Hermione think of all this talk about Malfoy? How did she react when you told her you found him attractive?"

"Actually, I didn't tell her."

"Really?" Ron's blue eyes lit up. "I know something Hermione doesn't? That's brilliant!"

"What's brilliant?" Hermione asked, as she entered her room once again.

"Well, I just told Ron that I-"

"No wait! Just let me bask in my superiority for one moment."

"What?" Hermione looked a little confused as she took a seat on the bed beside her boyfriend and best friend.

"He's happy about the fact that he knows something you don't." Haley filled her friend in.

"That I do." Ron said, smugly. "Wow, 'Mione. Is this what it feels like to be you everyday?"

The girl simply shook her head. "Just what is it that he knows that I don't?" She asked Haley.

"Just that-"

"Wait! Just give me another minute or so." Ron interrupted, leaning in so that his head came in between the two girls. Both girls looked annoyed but allowed the minute to pass without interference. When the minute was up, Ron sat back and said very calmly, "Proceed."

Haley shook her head but turned to Hermione. "It's nothing big, really. It's just that…I happened to have told Malfoy that I thought he was a bit attractive. That's all."

"You do?" Hermione stared at her friend incredulously.

"Well, he's not that bad." Haley defended.

"For a smarmy git." Ron mumbled under his breath. The Slytherin chose to ignore the comment.

"I can't argue with you there…"

Ron stared, shocked at his girlfriend. "Hermione!"

"What? I was just going to say that he wouldn't be all that bad to look at if I hadn't ever have known him as the Malfoy I know now."

"You find him attractive, too?" Ron blanched.

"It's not like I'm going to cheat on you with him, Ron."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Well that's something every boyfriend wants to hear from his girlfriend."

"Anyway." Hermione said, forcefully, as to quiet the other Gryffindor. "As you were saying, Harry."

"It's nothing much. Sure, he has nice features but that doesn't mean I like him or anything in that sort of way. He's just a friend."

"A friend that brings you soup in the morning." The boy said under his breath.

"What? He brought you soup? When?" Hermione asked. She looked somewhat giddy.

"It was nothing. It's because I'm sick. And I had brought some soup to him just the other day-"

"Wait. You brought _him_ soup too?" Ron asked.

"He was sick."

"You never bring _me_ soup when I'm sick."

"You're rarely ever sick, Ron!"

"So what happened after that?" Hermione leaned in.

"Nothing. We just fell asleep."

"We?" Both Gryffindors said at the same time.

Haley covered her face in her hands at her slip.

"What do you mean 'we fell asleep?'" Ron asked, an eyebrow cocked.

"I'm ill. I was tired. I had snapped out of my slumber rather abruptly. I couldn't help but drift off."

"And he was there?" Hermione prodded. Haley simply nodded. "Did he fall asleep in your bed?" Another nod. "Harry!"

"I was under the covers and he was resting on top of them! It's not like we did anything. We just fell asleep."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from my best friend…" Ron shook his head.

"I don't see why I bother telling you two anything…" Haley groaned.

"We believe you when you say nothing happened. We know you're not like that." Hermione reassured the girl. "So what happened when you woke up?"

"What made you such the gossip queen?" The Slytherin questioned her friend.

"For the past seven years, my two best friends have been boys who would never talk about anything like this, especially since one of those boys is my boyfriend."

"What is it with girls and gossip?" Ron frowned, lying back on the bed.

"I'll have you know that boys gossip as much as girls do." The brunette said, matter-of-factly.

"I highly doubt that." Ron replied.

"Weren't you and Harry just talking about Malfoy while I was out?"

"Yes but-"

"And before Harry pulled you out of the dorms, what were you and the other boys in the room talking about?"

"Err…the Patil twins."

"See."

"I hate it when you're right."

Haley blinked. "But she's usually always right."

Ron frowned. "That's right…"

Hermione shook her head. "Go on, Harry."

"I woke up. He was still asleep. He finally woke up, so we got up and went our separate ways. Simple as that."

"Again, I highly doubt that." The redhead added.

"It was already past lunch time so he said he was hungry and I decided to come over here. And that's it. I swear. You two make it out to be more than what it is."

The two Gryffindors laughed, only serving to make Haley shake her head once more.

"Wait. Harry you're sick." Hermione started.

"That's rather rude, don't you think?" Ron chuckled.

"You know what I mean." The Head girl chided. "I meant, you're ill. And you've only had some soup to eat?"

"Well, I just woke up and I came right here."

"Then we should get you something to eat. I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind seeing you either."

"I suppose. I am getting hungry, now that you mention it."

"Right, and I could do with some cheesecake." Ron grinned. "Let's go."

The trio hopped off the bed and proceeded to make their way to the kitchens. The trip itself was fairly uneventful, filled with the sounds of Hermione and Ron's chatter and Haley's sniffles here and there.

"Have you two ever heard of a guy named Leir Valex?" Haley asked.

"No…" Ron said.

"I have." Hermione replied. "He's one of Lavender's and Pavarti's guys they totally find attractive. He's also supposed to be pretty smart. Why?"

"I don't know. I met him yesterday. I never even knew he went here. It made me sort of realize that being in Gryffindor all these years, I've seen mostly the same people in my house and I've passed by the same people in the corridors. But having my schedule change and my house change, I see different people whom I may have never seen in all the time I'll be at Hogwarts."

"You do have a point. I can't really name more than ten people I know and interact with in Ravenclaw." Ron added. "Maybe we should change that."

When they approached the painting of the bowl of fruit, Ron did the honors and tickled the pear. The painting swung open as the three entered the kitchens. They were soon bombarded with numerous offerings from the house-elves. Hermione and Haley passed on the various snacks while Ron snatched up all that he could. The Head girl frowned at her boyfriend, knowing of the stomachache that was sure to follow.

Being in front of the other two, Hermione and Ron paused after their friend had, looking up at what she was staring at.

"Hello Malfoy." Hermione greeted the boy sitting at a table. Ron simply frowned while Haley continued to stare.

"Granger. Haley, shouldn't you be resting?"

"I…err…" the girl started.

Ron leaned in towards the girl's ear. "Your man's concerned. You should answer."

Haley responded by hitting the redhead in the ribs with her elbow. "I was hungry."

Draco merely watched her and Ron's transaction with a cocked eyebrow.

"Haley Jones!"

All four darted their attention to one particular house-elf who was currently charging towards Haley to give her a hug. Haley smiled. "Hello Dobby."

"Dobby has not see Haley Jones in a _long_ time!" The elf smiled. He leaned in. "Dobby heard of what happened in potions. Dobby sorry for Harry Potter."

"Ummm…thank you Dobby."

"Haley Jones and friends must sit down." The elf took Haley's hand and sat her next the Draco. The other two sat across from them. "What is it that Haley Jones is hungry for?" Dobby said, excitedly.

"Hey Dobby. I could go for some cheesecake." Ron said around the mouthful of apple he had been given by another elf.

"Ron! He was asking Haley." Hermione chastised.

"It's quite all right, Hermione Granger. Anything to satisfy the friends of Harry Potter." He winked at Haley, causing the girl to stiffen and glance over at Draco. He didn't seem to have noticed, although his expression seemed to have shifted at the name of his nemesis.

"So, Draco…what're you still doing here? I thought you'd be finished eating by now." Haley said, trying to grab the boy's attention.

"I am. I was just talking to Dobby."

"Yes. Draco Malfoy was good to Dobby. Dobby friends with Draco."

Ron scoffed. "Malfoy good?" Four pairs of eyes glared at the redhead.

"Ron Weasley should not speak badly of Draco Malfoy." Dobby defended.

"He didn't mean it, Dobby." Hermione soothed. She tossed her boyfriend another glare. "I think we should be off."

"What? We just got here." Ron pouted, his fork hanging from his mouth from having taken a bite out of his cheesecake.

"You've had quite enough to eat."

"But what about Haley?"

"She'll be fine. Let's go." Hermione stood and pulled Ron up by his arm.

"Guys-" Haley started.

"I need to stop him before he gets out of control." Hermione said, still dragging her boyfriend.

"I will have you know that I have complete control over – hey! That looks good." Ron picked up a sandwich a house-elf was trying to offer him.

"See what I mean? I'll see you later, Haley. Bye Dobby, goodbye Malfoy."

Ron waved as best he could with a plate of cheesecake in one hand and a sandwich in the other. "Goodbye, Haley. Don't do anything I-"

Hermione just smiled, having blocked Ron's mouth from finishing his statement. Both were out the door, leaving Haley alone with Draco. Haley was alone with Draco. Again.

"You should eat something, Haley." The blonde said to the girl.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I guess…I'll just have some bread."

"You haven't eaten all day. Dobby, bring Haley some chicken and potatoes."

"I'm really not that hungry."

"But you're all skin and bones."

"But just last night you said I was heavy."

The Head boy rolled his eyes. "I was lying, Jones."

"I wasn't. You're fat."

The two just laughed as Dobby arrived with Haley's food. Apparently, the elf agreed with the Head boy on Haley's weight and piled a large amount of chicken and potatoes on her plate. "Eat up, Haley Jones. Grow strong."

"I…thanks, Dobby." The house-elf beamed before dashing off to join the other house-elves with various chores.

"So how do you know Dobby?" Draco asked.

"I've been down here before." At least that wasn't a complete lie. Harry had in fact been there during his forth year with Hermione. "I met him and we became friends."

"Really? By the way Dobby talks about you, you'd think you've known him for years."

Haley shrugged and took in a spoonful of her mashed potatoes. "What about you? You and Dobby seem pretty close."

"He used to work for my family up until my second year in Hogwarts. Dobby was the one I'd talk to when my parents had dinner parties or whatever that I was too young to attend."

"Hm." Haley didn't realize how hungry she really was until she started on her third drumstick. Even a large portion of her potatoes had been finished off.

"So what were you doing here with Granger and Weasley?"

"Hermione suggested that I eat something since I missed breakfast and lunch and because all I've really had to eat today was some soup."

"Is that who you went off to see when you woke up?" The girl nodded. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?' Hermione's my friend. I'm allowed to see her and tell her things."

"Like what?"

"Like none of your business." She blew a raspberry at her friend before continuing with her chicken.

"Are you saying that there's something you can say to Granger that you can't say to me?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Then it must _be_ about me."

Haley almost choked on her chicken. She took a swig of her pumpkin juice and faced Draco who had a smug look on his face. "And why _must_ it be about you?"

"Because you usually talk to me about everything. But if you were talking about _me_ and how much you like me, then of course you wouldn't tell me. You'd go straight to your next friend which is what you did."

"Ugh. You're so arrogant and full of yourself. Just because I _usually_ talk to you about everything doesn't mean I _do_ tell you everything. And I was _not_ talking about you with Hermione."

"Mm-hmm. And just what were you talking about that you couldn't tell me?"

"If you must know, oh nosy one, we were talking about Leir." Again, not entirely false.

"Leir? Leir Valex?" Haley nodded. "What? Do you fancy him or something?"

"No, that would be Ethan."

Draco flinched. "You're not serious are you?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe it's just something that's between myself and Hermione and that's none of your business." Haley spun back to resume eating.

Draco was silent for a while. He watched the girl finish her meal and top off her pumpkin juice before saying anything more. "_Do_ you fancy Maxwell?"

The girl looked at her friend. "Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just answer the question."

"Right after you tell me why it matters." The blonde remained quiet while Haley just looked at him expectantly. "Well if you're not going to reply, then I don't see why I have to reply. And because I'd much rather be relaxing in the common room, I will be off." She stood up and looked over to where the house-elves were. "Goodbye, Dobby. I'll see you on Christmas if not sooner."

The elf walked over to her. "Must you go, Haley Jones?"

She nodded. "I'm getting a little tired. Bye, Dobby."

"Goodbye Haley Jones."

Haley looked back at Draco who was still watching her intently. "Later, Draco." She waved at the boy who didn't respond. She simply spun around and headed back towards the dungeons.

"You don't think she likes him, do you Dobby?" Draco asked, looking at where Haley had disappeared.

"It is not Dobby's place to say…" The elf replied. "But Dobby very much doubts it, sir."

Draco looked at his former elf and smiled. "Thank you, Dobby. I'll see you some other time."

"Goodbye, Draco Malfoy."

The Slytherin gave the elf a curt nod before following Haley's path towards the common room.

'She can't like him…' The blonde thought. 'Maxwell's an arse. And a lying scumbag.' He spun the ring he received from Haley on his finger, a growing habit of his for whenever he was deep in thought. 'I'm supposed to protect her, and protect her I shall…' He sighed. 'I swear, I've seen her somewhere before…her attitude is so familiar…and her eyes…' Draco shook his head. He had already arrived at the entrance. He mumbled the password and stepped on through into the common room. There he saw Haley lying down on one of the couches with an arm draped over her eyes. He made his way over and sat down next to her head.

Haley didn't have to move. She knew exactly who it was.

"You told me that I'm supposed to protect you. And though I don't question your judgment of character entirely, I _do_ completely question _his_ morals." Draco explained. "I'm just looking out for my friend."

Haley was quiet for a moment to let his words sink in. Slowly, she moved her arm off of her eyes. "No…I don't fancy Ethan." This earned a smirk from the boy. "And before you say anything else," she quickly added. "I don't fancy _you_ either."

Draco scoffed, but his smile remained. "Oh. By the way, Jones. I lied back there."

"About what?"

Draco paused. "You _are_ fat."

Haley rolled her eyes before placing her arm back over them. "Not half as much as you are…"

Draco chuckled before letting the silence settle in. No more words needed to be spoken for now, for they were both quite content just by knowing that the other was there.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Why bother? If you don't know by now, you'll never know.

And as for notes, I hope you like this unusually long one. Chapter nine wasn't really supposed to end where it did but it sounded like a good place to end. It was actually supposed to end somewhere in this chapter, I suppose. And this chapter was supposed to end somewhere as well, but it didn't seem fit to cut it anywhere so I just kept it extra long. Not that you mind entirely.

There were parts that I wanted to cut out. I didn't know if I really wanted the trio to talk about what they were talking about. I wasn't sure if I really wanted Ron there, like it says but I thought he should know being the best friend and all. I didn't know I was going to put a kitchen scene but when they said that Haley should eat, all I could picture was Draco sitting at a table talking to Dobby as the trio walked in so I tossed it in there. The reason why Hermione leaves the room when Ron and Haley are talking is because I didn't know what else to do with her. When there's three of them, all who have something to say, it's a little hard to sort that all out. It's easier when there's only two. So I kicked her out of her own room. Twice. Same reason goes for why Ron and Hermione leave Haley and Draco alone in the kitchens. And no. Haley doesn't fancy anyone right now. But she will. Muahahaha...

Thanks for reading.


	11. Detention With Trelawny

The Exchange

* * *

Tonight was the night that Haley had her detention with Madame Trelawny. As soon as Filch had said it, the girl dreaded the moment, knowing that Trelawny most definitely had something to say about her current condition. It didn't help that her cold was still in effect, although it did ease up quite a bit especially after having some dinner. So now, Haley was trekking as slow as she could up the staircase to the Divination classroom. She let out one rather large sigh before stepping through. 

"Ah! Harry Potter! I knew you were coming." Trelawny gasped.

"That's probably because Filch told you I was." The girl replied.

"No, no, no dear boy. The powers that be filled me with the knowledge of your whereabouts. I knew you were at that door right before you even stepped through."

"O…kay…do you mind telling me what I have to do? I'll feeling a little sick and would like to get some rest as soon as possible."

"All right. All you need do is wash the teacups and pots without magic. They're right behind that curtain over there. Be sure to stack them nicely in the cupboard after you wipe them dry. When you're done with that, you're free to go."

Haley nodded. This wouldn't be so hard. She'd been washing dishes for the Dursleys without magic for as long as she can remember. She made her way to the pile and froze. Towering above her was a mass amount of dishes. It nearly touched the ceiling. She wouldn't be surprised at all if Madame Trelawny had used magic to keep the pile from crashing down. Haley sighed and grabbed the pair of rubber gloves that waited for her at the sink. She slipped them on and began the long and arduous task at hand.

After half an hour or so, Haley cursed under her breath. She was probably only a third done and she was getting tired from standing. Having decided it would probably be best to wash the pile in sections, as opposed to all at once, Haley wiped down the last teacup of the first third and placed it neatly in Trelawny's cupboard.

"You're doing a marvelous job, dear boy. One would assume you've done this before. But as for myself, I _know_."

Haley refrained from snorting at this comment but turned to face her teacher. "Would it be all right if I sat down for a bit? I know this is supposed to be my punishment but I'm getting awfully tired."

"Say no more! I sense…you are ill, are you not?"

"Well, yeah. I told you that when I first get here."

Trelawny seemed to overlook the Slytherin girl's last comment. "Fear no more! Continue working, and I will return shortly."

"But-"

"Ah." The professor shushed. "Continue." She looked pointedly at the dishes before swirling around and walking out the door.

Haley sighed. "Okay…only two thirds left. I can do this." Haley picked up a teapot and started scrubbing.

Trelawny was gone for nearly twenty minutes when she came back into the classroom with her robes billowing around her feet. "Ah, Miss Jones. I have brought to you an assistant." The woman stepped to the side and introduced with a wave of her arms Haley's assistant.

The girl blinked. "Hi Ethan."

The boy smiled. "Hello."

"I'll leave you to your jobs." The professor bowed before leaving towards her office.

Ethan walked over to Haley's side and slipped on a pair of gloves. He picked up a teacup and began to rinse it off. All the while, Haley just stared at him in wonder.

The hazel-eyed boy looked at his friend from the corner of his eye and smiled. "You'll never finish your chore if you just stand there. Start scrubbing."

Haley snapped out of whatever daze she was in and obeyed. The two were quiet for a while before Haley's curiosity got the better side of her. She looked at the other Slytherin. "What're you doing here?"

The boy didn't look up. He just continued rinsing while he answered. "Trelawny swooped by. I was walking towards the common room when she stopped me and asked if I could help her. Since I had nothing better to do, I agreed. On our way up here, she told me that I would be helping you do dishes. And so, here I am, helping you do dishes." He finally looked at the girl and offered her a small smile.

"Well…thank you."

Ethan shrugged. "No problem."

"So…you know how to wash dishes the Muggle way."

The boy chuckled. "Yeah. Whenever my mum was angry with me or my siblings, she'd make us do chores without any help from any magical objects. Washing the dishes by hand is one my regular punishments."

Haley smiled. "So how many siblings do you have?"

"Three. An older brother, an older sister and my younger brother. He'll be attending Hogwarts next term. How about you? Any brothers or sisters?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope. It's just me."

"Lucky." Ethan put away the stack of dishes he had finished rinsing and wiping. "So why do you have detention anyway?"

Haley rolled her eyes at her oncoming memory. "It was all Snape and Pansy's fault. Pansy made inappropriate comments so I threatened to hex her when Snape came by and gave me a week's worth of detention. I think it's totally unfair. The punishment completely does _not_ fit the crime."

"Yeah, well, the punishment for a Slytherin is never just. If that's what you wanted, you should have been sorted into Gryffindor. They're all for what's right and fair in the world."

"I think that's a common misconception of Gryffindors. They're not always playing by the rules. They're not all goody-two-shoes like everyone assumes, just like not all Hufflepuffs are overly cautious, not all Ravenclaws are overly intelligent and not all Slytherins are…well…arseholes."

Ethan smirked. "Well put."

"Just voicing my opinion."

Ethan paused in contemplation. "Why _were_ you sorted into Slytherin?"

"Gee, I didn't know I had to have a reason." Haley replied, sarcastically.

"I simply meant that I wouldn't have pegged you as a Slytherin. You're…different."

"How so?"

"Well, most Slytherins tend to have a streak where they care more for themselves than anyone else. You…you're not like that. You seem to genuinely care for the people around you."

Haley blushed slightly, looking down into the sink. That's when she spotted something most surprising. "Hey…last cup." She scrubbed the teacup before handing it to Ethan so he could rinse and dry it. Haley placed the last cup into the now filled cupboard and smiled. "That was quick."

"Four hands are better than two."

Haley nodded in agreement. "Thanks for you help, Ethan. It would've taken me twice the time had you not been here."

"Glad I could be of service."

"I'll just tell Madame Trelawny that we're done. Then we can head back to the common room." Ethan nodded as the girl walked over the professor's office. Haley opened the door slightly and poked her head in. "Erm…Madame Trelawny?"

The professor, startled, dropped her book onto her desk. "Oh! You, I knew you were coming."

Haley refrained from laughing. "We're done."

"Right. Well. You are free to go then." The teacher smiled. She walked over to the girl and patted her on the shoulder. "Good night…" she trailed off.

"Professor?" Haley looked at her questioningly.

"Hmmm…my dear child…be wary of a mask. I fear the worst if you do not."

"Ummm…o…kay." Haley brushed it off as another one of Trelawny's strange and oftentimes wrong predictions. "Good night, Professor."

Trelawny nodded. "Good night."

Haley closed the door and walked over to Ethan who was standing by the classroom door.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Haley simply nodded. And, as every gentleman should, he held the door open for his female companion. "After you, Miss Jones."

Haley smiled. "Why thank you, Mister Maxwell."

As the two made their way back to the Slytherin dungeons, Haley noticed how late it was getting. There were few students wandering the corridors, and the ones that were still out were making their way back to their specified dorms. But the two kept at a leisurely pace, taking in the other's company.

"Ethan, why does Draco hate you so much?"

The boy smiled. "Haven't we already been through this?"

"Well, yeah. But there's got to be _some_ reason. I mean, he can't just simply _hate_ you."

Ethan was quiet for a moment. And then, "We weren't always enemies. In fact, we were friends. Of course we were. His best friend is Blaise, Blaise is my friend, it's only natural that we in turn became friends as well. But there was something about Draco that I couldn't…"

"You couldn't what?" Ethan was solemn for a moment. They continued down the hall in silence, Haley slowly becoming frustrated with the dead air. "Well?"

Ethan glanced over at his friend. "Draco's beautiful, isn't he?"

The girl almost tripped in her shock. "Wh-what?"

The boy merely smirked. "He's really fair."

"I…ummm…what?" Haley was confused. 'Did Ethan and Draco have a relationship that went bad? Does Draco even swing that way? Does _Ethan_? What's going on? What happened between them?'

Lost in her thoughts with her eyes still directed at her companion rather than where she was stepping, Haley couldn't help but run right into someone as she and Ethan turned round a corner. She also couldn't help her lack of balance as she began to tumble backwards.

"Oh!" Came the voice of the one she bumped into.

Haley was prepared to meet backside first with the ground. But instead, she felt two arms wrapped around her and a strong chest under layers of clothes against her cheek. She opened her eyes, looked up, and was surprised to see Leir looking down at her.

"Really, Miss Jones. There has got to be a better way of meeting up with you. All this bumping into each other could get rather painful after a while." He smiled.

"Heh. Sorry about that Leir." He helped the Slytherin stand upright, although letting his hands linger on the girl.

"Excuse _me_," Ethan practically growled. He glared daggers at Leir's hands before glaring up at their owner.

Leir blushed, dropped his hands at his sides, and took a step back. He looked at Haley. "Sorry about that. I didn't- I wasn't-"

Blushing also, Haley looked down. "It's all right. I know-"

"Ethan Maxwell. Who are _you_?" Ethan stepped in between the two with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh um, I'm Leir. Leir Valex." The boy held out his hand to shake the other's.

Ethan didn't move. His eyes were still digging into the back of the Hufflepuff's skull.

Haley frowned. "Stop that." She pushed the Slytherin to the side and smiled at Leir. "Sorry about him. Bad day."

Leir smiled, but only for a second as to not upset the other boy. "Right. Well, I guess I should be off. Good night, Haley." He timidly looked at the other. "Good night, Ethan Maxwell."

Ethan only sneered in response.

Haley watched the boy go down the corridor before turning to look back at Ethan who was still glaring down at where Leir had disappeared. "What's the matter with you? He was only being polite."

"If you ask me, I think he was being overly friendly. Who does he think he is, touching you like that?"

"For goodness sake, Ethan, it's not like he was groping me. I fell. He helped me up. I think it's rather valiant of him. What's it to you anyway?"

Ethan darted his gaze down upon the girl, a fire raging behind hazel irises. "I told you before, Haley. I find you positively beautiful. I'm sorry if that fact never seemed to register through your brain, but it's true. And to see that… _fool_ with his hands all over you… It's nothing to be happy about." Ethan took a step back. He seemed to regain his composure despite the anger in his eyes. "There's something I have to do. I'll see you later. Good night." And with that, Ethan stormed off in a direction opposite from where their common room was.

Haley stood glued to her spot, staring at Ethan's retreating form. 'He's completely overreacting… he's a fool… he's positively mad… but…' Haley dropped her gaze to her shoes. "He's my friend. An idiot, but my friend…" She shook her head. "Whatever. It's his problem, not mine." She began to walk towards the dungeons. 'Poor Leir. He didn't deserve to be treated like that at all. I'll apologize to him tomorrow.'

"Excuse me, miss! What do you think you're doing out this late? I should deduct points from your house."

Haley smiled, but continued to walk not glancing back at the owner of the voice. "You wouldn't _dare_ do that cause you'd be taking points from your _own_ house."

Haley heard a scoff. "The least you could do is wait for me, Jones."

"You're a healthy boy, you can catch up."

Draco rolled his eyes and jogged over to his friend. "Why are you out?"

"I just finished detention with Trelawny." Haley decided against mentioning the fact that Ethan had helped her with it. She was sure it would only get her yelled at.

"Ah. I see. Two down, five to go. Are you feeling better?"

Haley paused and looked up at her friend. "Why, Draco. You sound genuinely concerned. Are _you_ feeling all right?"

Draco smirked but continued walking. "_Me_? Genuinely concerned about _you_? Like that'll _ever_ happen. I'm only curious so I know that I don't have to get up early tomorrow."

The Slytherin girl cocked an eyebrow and hurried to catch up to her friend. "Why would me feeling better affect you getting up early?"

"Well, if you're still feeling pathetically wretched, I figured more soup might come into play," he responded matter-of-factly.

Haley smiled. "I'm feeling much better than I felt this morning. No need for soup, but thank you for the concern. Genuine or not."

The two made their way into the common room. There were still a number of students still chatting amongst themselves in different areas of the room.

Haley yawned. "I think I'm gonna get to bed a little early. I need my rest."

"Plus a whole _lot_ of beauty sleep." Draco remarked.

This earned the boy a glare. "I'm sorry the rest of the world isn't as _gorgeous_ as you, Draco Malfoy. But if we all were, we'd _all_ have our heads shoved up our arses." She offered the boy a dainty smile before proceeding to unlock her door.

Draco leaned up against the wall with a smile on. "Miss Jones, you just admitted that I'm gorgeous."

She opened her door slightly and looked at the Head Boy. "Think nothing of it, Malfoy. Remember? I'm sick. I'm absolutely delirious. Plus, as you can see with my glasses, my vision is _horribly_ impaired. I'm sure your looks are just as vile and as disgusting as your personality is."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I like you better when you're asleep."

Haley smirked. "Ditto."

"Good night, Haley."

"Night, Draco."

---

The next morning, Draco was at her door with a thermos full of soup in one hand… and a bowl in the other.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Harry Potter, but I do own Ethan Maxwell and Leir Valex. Woot woot.

Ummm… I sometimes feel bad for Trelawny. No one takes her seriously. She's like the boy who cried wolf. So, sorry Trelawny for bashing on you a little bit. I wasn't really going to put Draco in this chapter. That was the plan. But Draco is my favorite character. So, I caved and tossed him in. Heh. What else? Sorry this took so long to come out… I've been distracted. Yeah.

Don't tell anyone this but… I have no idea where this is going… hehe.

Kidding of course.


	12. The Photography Student

The Exchange – The Photography Student

* * *

"Hey. Have any of you seen Leir?" 

Haley was wandering the halls of the school trying to find the Hufflepuff. She really did mean to apologize to the boy after what had happened the previous night. She had been approaching various students in Hufflepuff to see if any of them knew the whereabouts of their fellow yellow-clad peer. Most of the responses were as follows:

"Leir? He's usually off by himself."

"Leir? Who's Leir?"

"Leir? That stuck-up new kid? Who cares?"

"Leir? My name's so-and-so. But for you baby, you can call me whatever you want."

One response managed to send a shiver down her spine.

"Leir? Isn't that the kid who died nine years ago? I hear he still haunts the school at night. People think he's just a regular student, but really he's more of a poltergeist."

In hearing this, Haley immediately paled. But then the Hufflepuff broke out into fits of laughter, exclaiming that the expression on Haley's face was priceless. The Slytherin was ready to hex this boy, but stopped once a passing student caught her attention.

"Leir? Leir Valex?" The young Hufflepuff girl said. "I think he's in the hospital wing."

Haley blinked. "What?"

"That's what I heard." The girl shrugged before continuing on her way.

Haley sent a glare at the boy who was still laughing before dashing away towards the hospital wing. Dashing probably wasn't the best thing for her to do while she still had a cold, but she was worried about her friend. Haley burst through the doors of the hospital wing, surprising Madame Pomfrey.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mi…ss Jones?" The woman caught herself from saying 'Mister Potter' in realizing that there were other occupants in the wing.

Haley was taking deep breaths. Dashing definitely wasn't a good thing to do when you have a cold. "Is Leir Valex here?" She panted.

A look of concern washed over Madame Pomfrey's face before she got up, grabbed a bottle from a cabinet and a spoon from a drawer. She poured some liquid onto the spoon and turned to Haley. "Open."

"What? I don't-"

The nurse shoved the spoon into the younger girl's mouth. The sticky substance practically crawled down her throat leaving a rather disgusting taste in its path. Madame Pomfrey simply rolled her eyes. "My dear child, if you had a cold, why on Earth didn't you come see me?"

"I… I didn't think it was really necessary…"

"Well, instead of sitting through it for a week, you could've been over it in a day. How do you think Mister Malfoy got over his cold so quickly? You no doubt caught yours from him."

"Oh…" Haley felt a little stupid. She hadn't even noticed the quick recovery. But then she remembered why she was in the hospital wing in the first place. "Madame Pomfrey, is Leir Valex here?"

The elder woman was putting away the bottle when she nodded. "He came in last night with a broken wrist."

Haley gasped. "What? What happened? Can I see him?"

"He's resting now. You can come back later." The nurse began to usher the girl out of the wing. "As for you, I want you to drink plenty of fluids and have a good night's sleep tonight. You'll feel better in the morning. I promise." She smiled at the Slytherin before closing the doors.

'What happened?' Haley frowned. Slowly, she turned around and headed back towards the Slytherin common room.

---

'Why do I bother with this job? I hate it. All these dim-witted children ruining my potions, wasting my ingredients.' Professor Snape growled to himself. He was sitting in his chambers after a grueling day of potions classes.

He didn't feel like he was getting any closer to duplicating the potion Longbottom and Potter had created. There have been several occasions where the potions professor had wanted to simply quit in this quest and just leave Harry Potter as a girl. But his reputation and pride were at stake and those were two things Severus Snape was not willing to bargain with.

To his latest concoction, and more recent attempt in creating the gender-bending potion, Snape added minced Wiggin's Leaf and began to stir the silvery substance clockwise. He made sure to make note of everything he had added and every which way he stirred. By doing so, Snape was able to remember how to create a potion that would give its victim temporary warts in a very uncomfortable area. He also saved that one for a particular Transfiguration professor.

Collecting the new concoction into an eyedropper and feeding it to Mr. Whiskas, Snape sat back and prepared himself for another failed attempt. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. 'Maybe I should go to Egypt during the summer. Go somewhere completely different than here. Somewhere far from these brats…'

The professor opened his eyes and looked at his test subject. Nothing appeared different, yet again. Snape sneered and was about to throw out this new potion when something about Mr. Whiskas caught his eye. The professor pulled the small mouse out of its cage and lifted its tail.

"Oh my…."

---

"I'm telling you, it was that Ethan guy." Ron frowned.

"Now, Ron. You can't just jump to conclusions." Hermione chided.

The trio was sitting in one of the open hallways that overlooked one of many courtyards around the school. The cool air was refreshing, especially since Haley's cold had nearly gone away. The Slytherin had told her two friends about her meeting with Leir last night and Ethan's reaction to the other boy. Needless to say, her own suspicions of how Leir broke his wrist were reflected in Ron's words.

"Come on, Hermione. Harry bumps into Leir. Ethan doesn't like Leir. Ethan disappears for the night and Leir spends the night in the hospital wing. It's so obvious. Ethan broke Leir's wrist." The redhead folded his arms across his chest, sure that this had to be the right conclusion. How could it not be?

"Hey guys! Smile for the birdie!"

The trio was surprised by a sudden flash. Once the spots faded from view, they were met with a grinning Colin Creevy.

"Hey Colin, how've you been?" Haley smiled.

The younger boy just smiled and shrugged. "Same 'ol, same 'ol. It's a shame that Harry's gone though. Any idea when he comes back? I wanna get pictures of him during the Quidditch match against Slytherin."

"Creevy, you've been taking pictures of Harry since your first year here. Don't you think you have enough?" Ron asked.

Again, the younger boy shrugged. "Taking pictures is making memories. And Harry's like my hero. So I want as many memories as I can of my hero while we're still in the same building as each other."

Haley blushed and looked away.

"Well, we aren't sure when Harry gets back. Soon, we hope." Hermione jumped in. The other two just nodded in agreement.

"Oh. Right-o. Well I'll be off." The boy just smiled again and waved goodbye.

"Anyway, who else could it have been other than Ethan?" Ron continued.

"Why does it have to be a who at all? Maybe he just fell on it or something." Hermione tried.

"That wouldn't be too surprising. It would make sense why we always bump into each other." Haley giggled.

"But Ethan-"

"Hey." Colin Creevy poked his head back around to where the trio were sitting. "I heard you guys mention the name Ethan. You wouldn't happen to be talking about Ethan Maxwell, would you?"

Haley was a little surprised. Colin knew Ethan? "Well, yeah."

The younger Gryffindor smiled. "Oh okay. If you see him, tell him I said 'thanks.'" With that, Colin turned to walk away again.

"Wait! Colin!" Haley stopped him. "You know Ethan?"

"Of course. He's a fellow photographer." He grinned, motioning towards his camera. "In fact, he helped me fix my camera last night."

Hermione leaned forward towards the boy. "Last night?"

"Yeah. My flash got jammed. But he was there in the studio, developing some pictures and he helped me. He's always so helpful," he smiled sheepishly. "Especially when I'm too short to reach anything from the cupboards."

Haley briefly thought back to last night about how Ethan had helped her with the dishes.

The boy bit his lip. "You know, now that I think about it," he looked up at Haley. "You must be _his_ hero or something. Lately, all he's been developing are pictures of you. Not a very efficient way to make memories, if you ask me."

Ron rolled his eyes. "But isn't that what you do to Harry?"

"It's not like Harry's the _only_ person I take pictures of Ron." And with that, Colin snapped another picture of an incredulous Ron. The boy smiled. "That'll be a fun one."

"So wait. Ethan has a bunch of pictures of me?" Haley frowned.

Colin nodded. "Yeah. He was making a print of one just last night in the dark room right before I asked him about my flash."

"And he was with you all last night?" Hermione continued.

"Well, I walked with him to the dungeons before going back to Gryffindor. It's not like I stayed with him. We're not like that."

The brunette girl gaped. "Oh! I wasn't implying-"

"Just kidding, Hermione. I know you weren't." Colin grinned again.

"Do you think you could show us where the studio is?" Haley asked.

Colin shrugged. "I don't see why not. I was just on my way there. Come on."

And with that, Collin led the three friends down the halls of Hogwarts until they reached a portrait of a man painting a portrait of a woman. And with the simple utterance of the word "parallax" the portrait swung open to reveal a room littered with photographs from wall to wall.

"Did you know this was here?" Ron whispered to Haley. The girl could only shake her head "no."

Colin led them to one portion of the wall with pictures of people Haley recognized mostly from Gryffindor. Probably half of them were of Colin's "hero."

"These are my photos." Colin beamed with pride. All the people in the photos were smiling and waving in content.

Haley had to admit. Despite Colin having been around almost every corner with his camera to take her picture as Harry, he wasn't half bad. In fact, he was very good. Colin had mastered the use of light to capture the perfect angle for the perfect shot. Every smile was a happy moment suspended in time.

"Wow, Colin. These are really good." Hermione said as she studied each photograph.

"You know," Ron added. "All this time you've been taking our pictures left and right and this is probably the first time I've seen them." The redhead smiled at his miniature self in the photograph who waved gleefully in return.

"Oh Colin. There you are. I-"

The four looked up to see Ethan walk out of the dark room. The Slytherin boy was a bit startled to see them all there.

"Oh hey Ethan! I didn't think you'd be here." The younger photographer smiled.

"Yeah…" Ethan kept his eyes fixated on Haley. "I hadn't planned on it but you know me," turning to look at Colin, he smirked at his Gryffindor friend. "Can't stay away for long. It's an addiction."

"You're telling _me._ Oh. I wanted to thank you again for helping me with my camera. I'd go mad without it."

Ethan walked over to Colin and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "Then treat her better, Creeves." The Slytherin boy folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against a table. He returned his gaze back to Haley. "I didn't know you'd be entertaining guests, Creeves. I would've tidied up a bit."

"Oh right!" The younger boy grinned sheepishly. "Ron, Hermione, Haley, this is Ethan. Ethan, Ron, Hermione, and I think you already know Haley." He lightly elbowed Ethan in the ribs, a knowing grin on his face.

Ethan stood upright and held out his hand to Ron and to Hermione. "Nice to finally meet you. I've only heard stories about your many conquests."

"Well, it's how we keep busy." Hermione smiled.

"Colin was just showing us his wall. Where's _your_ wall?" Ron smirked.

Ethan simply ignored the redhead and looked back at his younger friend. "You should show them your portfolios. They're much better than the photographs here."

"Oh right!" Colin beamed. He grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him over to where his cabinet was with Hermione followed closely behind.

Haley stayed behind, studying Ethan who had returned to leaning against the table. His hands were in his pockets as his gaze followed the other three.

"So, where _is_ your wall, Ethan?" She frowned.

He shifted his gaze back to his housemate. "Why so curious, Haley?"

"Colin's mentioned something to me about the… subject of your photographs. It made me a little… 'curious,' if you will."

Ethan sighed and bit his lip, turning his gaze from the girl to something off to the side. He stood upright and led the girl to another part of the room. Without a word, he stopped in front of one portion of a wall and sat down on the table positioned across from it. "Here. Here is the wall you so desire."

The Slytherin girl stared at it. There were hardly any pictures of her there. A few here and there, but most of them were pictures of Ethan's various friends in all houses, mostly Slytherin.

"You look surprised." Ethan remarked, swinging his legs back and forth from their dangling position.

"I- I'm sorry. I assumed… Colin said-"

Ethan hopped off his makeshift seat and walked over to a nearby cabinet. He pulled out an album and tossed it on the table where he took up his previous seated position next to it. He leaned back on his hands and continued to swing his legs "What you're looking for is in there." He said, nodding towards the album.

Haley hesitated. She just stared at the book. "Wh-what's in it?"

The boy leaned forward towards his friend. "I won't lie to you Haley. I assume Colin mentioned the fact that I've been taking a lot of pictures of you?" She nodded. "They're in there."

Haley looked up into Ethan's eyes before looking back at the album. She pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened the book. Sure enough, there was photograph after photograph of a candid Haley smiling, yelling, laughing, and just being herself day after day.

"I… I'm not a stalker. I swear."

She looked up at her friend who was staring at the ceiling. "Why do you have all of these?"

"Is it really _that_ hard to figure out?" He looked down into her eyes. "I told you that I like you. You're beautiful Haley. As a photographer, of course I'd want to try to capture your beauty."

"Okay, I would have understood that, no problem. But I feel like you were hiding it from me. Why wouldn't you just tell me that you want to take my picture?"

Ethan looked a little uncomfortable. He looked down at his shoes. "It's rather… embarrassing, isn't it? I'm not as happy-go-lucky as Creevy is. He has no problem going up to anyone and snapping his or her picture. He doesn't even have a problem with constantly going up to Harry Potter and taking his picture over and over again. I know if I were Potter, I'd be annoyed. I guess… I just didn't want you to be annoyed with me. If you were annoyed with me, then I wouldn't be able to take your picture anymore and lately, you've been like a muse to me. If I lost my muse…" He looked back at Haley. "Well, photography would hardly be as fun as it is now."

"Ethan, I wouldn't mind you taking my picture every now and again. I just don't want you to do it behind my back. It feels as if you're hiding something from me and it only makes me suspicious of you. Like maybe you really are a stalker or something. You're my friend. I don't want something as trivial as photographs to tear our friendship to shreds."

Ethan sighed. "Fine. No more sneaking in shots. I'll ask permission first."

Haley smiled. "Good. That's how it should have been in the first place." She turned her attention back to the album. "Are you serious? You take pictures of me while I'm eating?"

The boy smiled. "It's entertaining when you eat. You're the sloppiest girl at our table."

"Hey! I was really hungry that day!" That's when Haley paused at one particular photograph. One that she recognized right away. "You took this?"

The hazel-eyed boy glanced at the photo Haley was referring to. In it was a very up close shot of her as she looks to the side and smiles. "Oh that."

"So Draco really _did_ find it."

Ethan blew a raspberry. "It didn't really work out as I thought it might."

Haley frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I figured that if I left a copy of that picture somewhere near the entrance to the common room, Draco would find it and pick it up. And maybe if you saw him with it, you might think he was some weird stalker or crazed fanatic. He found it, but you were too concerned with his cold. Bloody timing…"

"Why would you even bother trying something like that? How am I supposed to believe that _you_ aren't the stalker or 'crazed fanatic?'"

"I suppose you aren't. You'll only have to trust my word on it. And as to why… well… I'm jealous. You and Draco are awfully close. I hoped I might get you to lean more to my side." He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

"Okay, first of all, I'm not leaning in any direction whatsoever. For the record, I don't favor anyone. And Draco and I are just friends. Just like how you and I are just friends. And I'm not interested in moving further than that with _any_one and I don't think I will be interested in such a thing any time soon. Okay?"

"Like I said, 'can't blame a guy for trying.'"

"And while we're in the mood for being honest with each other, did you hurt Leir?"

Ethan blinked, a little thrown by the change in subject. "Leir? The guy who had his hands all over you last night?"

"He did not!! He was just helping me up!"

"By groping you…" Ethan mumbled, none too subtly.

"Ethan!"

"No, okay. I didn't do anything to him. Why?"

"This morning I was trying to find him and the next thing I know, he's in the hospital wing with a broken wrist."

"Why were you trying to find him?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with how he broke his wrist?"

"He deserved it for being too friendly."

"Ethan!"

"Fine. I didn't have anything to do with it. Though I admit that I would like to shake the hand of the person who did."

Haley just frowned at the boy. "Are you going to be like this with every person I'm friends with?"

"No. You're with Weasley and Granger all the time. I'm not like this when you're with _them_. Of course, it helps that I know that they're together."

"What about Blaise? You're not like this with Blaise."

"That's cause I know Blaise. You're not his type."

"And what if I became better friends with Colin? Would you act all jealous with _him_?"

Ethan frowned and bent over Haley. "You wouldn't."

Haley just shrugged. "You never know."

Ethan smirked and leaned back on his wrists again. "If you tried to latch yourself onto Colin, I'd be very surprised if he responded. He's made it quite clear to me who he's fond of."

"You two are that close?"

"Me and Creeves have been friends ever since I transferred here my third year. He's the only one as addicted to photography as I am."

Haley snapped the photo album shut, having finished flipping through all of the pages. "Yeah, but you hardly show it. Colin just snaps the shot without a worry or a care."

"True." Ethan paused, looking up at the ceiling again. "You know, something's been bugging me though."

"What?"

"I've been taking a better look at his photos, especially those of Harry Potter."

"…Oh?" She didn't know why, but for some reason, this fact alone made her very nervous.

"Haley, you should look at this one!" Ron bellowed from across the room between laughs. "We were so little!"

The Slytherin girl took one last glance at Ethan before walking over to her other friends. 'What was he going to say?'

"Look at Ron! He always had dirt on his face no matter _how_ many times his mother tried to wipe it off." Hermione giggled.

"Hey! How would you like it if I licked my hand and wiped it all over _your_ face? I don't think you'd like it at all! And at least it isn't _my_ hair that took up half the picture!" Ron countered.

Haley glanced at the photo her friends were congregating over. It was of the golden trio seated in the Great Hall, right before they dug into dinner. It must have been taken in her earlier years because all three looked much smaller than they did now. When she glanced over herself as Harry, a sudden sadness came over the girl. 'Will I ever get to go back?'

"Haley? Are you okay?" Hermione asked, concern written across her face.

The girl snapped out of her thoughts and just smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You probably miss your old life, huh?" Ethan said, leaning against the table across from where the other four were.

In hearing this, Haley again froze. 'Does he know?'

"I mean, looking at those pictures must remind you of your own friends back in America, right?" The Slytherin boy shrugged.

Haley let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Yeah. I miss the way things were." She glanced at Ron and Hermione and offered them a small smile and then looked back up at Ethan. "But that doesn't mean I don't like things now. I have good friends here, too. Speaking of, I think I'm gonna go check on Leir again."

At this Ethan frowned. "Why?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Because he's my friend. And if _you_ were in the hospital wing, I'd visit _you_ too."

"I think we're going to take off as well." Hermione said, standing up. "Thank you for showing us these, Colin. You're really talented."

Colin beamed. "Thanks!"

"Yeah. Maybe next time you can show us some of your stuff, mate." Ron grinned, shaking Ethan's hand.

Ethan just smirked. "Maybe." He looked at Hermione and shook her hand as well. "It was nice to finally meet you face-to-face Miss Granger."

"It was nice to meet you too, Ethan." Hermione smiled. "We'll see you later, Colin."

"Bye!" Ron chirped and led the way out. "You really should have taken a look at his work, Harry. He's surprisingly good."

Haley shrugged. "Maybe next time."

"So what did Ethan say?" The Gryffindor girl asked.

"Colin was right. Ethan has an album of pictures of just me."

"What?! I'll punch his lights in!" The redhead was ready to turn right back into the photography room but Haley stopped him.

"Apparently, he thinks of me as his 'muse.' Can you believe that? He took all those pictures in an attempt to 'capture my beauty.'"

Hermione sighed. "That's awfully romantic if you think about it." She nudged her boyfriend slightly in the ribs.

"That's a pick-up line, if _you_ think about it!" Ron frowned. "He's a sly one. I don't trust him one bit."

"Careful." Haley smirked. "You're starting to sound like Draco."

"Am not!"

"So what are you going to do about it, Harry?" Hermione asked, stopping the oncoming feud before it even started. She knew her two best friends well enough to know when the bickering might begin.

The raven-haired girl furrowed her brows. "Although he was rather sneaky about it, he was very honest about it when I asked him. I don't know I'll do. I'll just leave things as they are but I'll try to be more conscious of what Ethan does. I can't say I _completely_ trust him, but I don't think he's done anything so wrong that I'm completely suspicious of him. Plus, he really is a nice guy once he opens up to you."

"Just be careful. Some guys just don't have the greatest intentions when it comes to their sexual drive." Hermione offered. She took her boyfriend's hand in hers.

"Yeah and if any of those guys ever attempt to attack you, just call on me and I'll be there to hex him right up the-"

"Thanks Ron." Haley smiled. "I think I can handle things. If I can take on Voldemort, I can definitely take on some hormonal teenager." The three friends paused at the base of a staircase. "Well I turn here. I want to know what really happened to Leir."

"Keep us posted." The Head Girl said.

"Yeah. And if it really was Ethan, we'll hex him right up the-"

Hermione quickly covered Ron's mouth with her free hand and smiled at Haley. "We're going now. Bye Harry."

"See you later." Haley smiled. Ron just waved since Hermione's hand was still covering his lips.

As the friends went their separate ways, Haley couldn't stop the thoughts from entering her mind. 'If Professor Snape _does_ find the antidote for this, what happens to all the new friends I've made? I can't just go back and ignore them… I'd miss them. Especially…' Haley pushed the image of the Slytherin Head Boy out of her mind. 'Well there's nothing I can do about it now. I'll just have to deal with it when the time comes.' When the image of Ethan Maxwell popped into her head, Haley frowned. 'Does he know? And if he doesn't, it sure sounds like he's on his way to figuring it out. What'll he do if he figures it out? What'll everyone do? I don't want to be Haley the rest of my life, but how can I go back to being Harry without hurting the people I care about?'

Haley sighed and stopped in front of the doors to the familiar hospital wing. 'My life is _way_ too complicated…' And with that, she proceeded through the doors.

In the bed furthest from the door, Leir was reading from his Transfiguration book. He looked up as Haley approached and smiled. "Hey. My first visitor of the day."

Haley was surprised by this. "Really?"

"Told you I'm not too popular."

"Well, how are you feeling? I heard you were here from one of your housemates."

Leir shrugged. "Could be better. I mean, I _do_ have a wrist to heal. But it should be good as new in no time."

"That's good. So what happened?"

The Hufflepuff chuckled. That was the first time Haley noticed how light his blue eyes were. They twinkled when he laughed. "I guess I'm the klutzy one. After I said good night to you and your friend I went back towards my common room. I decided it might be fun to slide down the rail of a staircase on my way there. The rail didn't think it was so fun and made me slip and land on my wrist. And voila! Broken wrist. Now go ahead and laugh all you want. I know you want to."

The Slytherin broke out into a grin before letting her laughter slip through. "I'm afraid to know what you're like on a broom."

"Oh." The boy rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started. I'm about as terrible in the air as I am just walking." He smiled.

"Well I just wanted to come check on you before I head off to my next detention. Oh. And to apologize for Ethan's rudeness last night."

"He seems rather protective of you. Is he your boyfriend?"

"No! Of course not. We're just friends. Everyone I hang around with is just my friend. I have no romantic attachments to anyone. I feel like I have to explain this five times a day."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just wondering."

"No, no. It's nothing to be sorry about. It just gets a little tiring saying the same thing over and over again."

"Then I will be sure not to ask you again for a long time." He smiled again.

"Well, I really should get going before Filch sends Mrs. Norris to claw my eyes out. I'll see you later, okay?" She patted his hand on the bed and walked towards the exit.

"Haley?"

She stopped and looked back at the boy. "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you came to visit me, Haley." He smiled sincerely. "I'm glad you're my friend."

Haley smiled in return, ignoring the blush the crept up on her cheeks. "Feel better, okay? And for goodness sake, watch where you're going."

Leir chuckled. "All right, I will. Bye Haley."

"Bye Leir." After Haley shut the door, she let out a breath with a small smile lingering on her lips. She sighed and looked at her watch.

"Ack! Filch'll give me double duty for sure!" And with that, Haley darted off to Filch's office.

"Haley?"

The girl didn't hear the voice call her name as she passed through one of many halls. She was too preoccupied with her current mission: don't show up to detention late.

Draco sighed and continued on his way.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: If I were the creator of the characters in Harry Potter, do you think I'd be writing _fanfiction? _But at least I have Ethan and Leir to keep me company.

This turned out longer than I had anticipated. But there was so much that I wanted to get out in this chapter. So I just kept going and going and I didn't think it would make sense to cut this in half anywhere. So you know a little more about Ethan and Leir's character may still be a little grey but so far he's a loveable klutz. I like a protective Ron. Cause when _Ron's_ protective, he's like the older brother and not the jealous suitor. Draco wasn't going to be in this chapter either (like he wasn't going to be in the previous chapter). But right at the end, I felt that there needed to be something more. I guess that little something was Draco, even though it was such a small part. There'll be more Draco interaction coming next after Harry's detention.

What happened to Mr. Whiskas? I'm sure you can all guess. But don't. You might ruin it for someone else. Hehe.


	13. And Now You Know

The Exchange – And Now You Know

* * *

Haley yawned. She had forgotten how messy it had been learning the levitation charm in Professor Flitwick's class. She was suddenly reminded when detention with the small teacher forced her to try to sweep up scatter feathers and scrape off whatever gunk was splattered around or on the students' desks. As soon as she was finished, she was glad to be back in the Slytherin common room.

"Miss Jones, a word."

Haley turned in hearing Snape's voice. She followed her professor into his office.

"I thought you might like to know that some progress has been made in finding your antidote."

"What? Really?" All tiredness forgotten, Haley perked up.

"I have successfully identified the ingredients and procedure it takes to create the gender-switching potion. Now before you ask what good this does, I'll tell you now. Only by knowing what ingredients you've used can you know what ingredients to counter with. Likewise with procedure."

"But professor, if the potion is meant for gender-switching, can't I just take it again so that it can switch me back?"

"If you want to try that method, Mister Potter, by all means, go right ahead."

At this, Haley did not move. She eyed her professor suspiciously. "You've already tried that, haven't you?"

Snape sneered. "As if I would need to. The components of the potion would clearly show any _competent_ witch or wizard that such a trivial solution would not work."

Haley shrank back. "Well you don't have to be so mean about it…" She muttered.

"I'll ignore your tone and assume you mean to thank me for all my hard work."

"Errr… right. Thank you, Professor Snape."

"Hm. You may go now."

"Wait. How soon do you think you can figure out an antidote now that you know what's in the potion?"

"With the holidays coming up, maybe a month."

"A _month_?!"

Another sneer directed at the Slytherin girl reflected the professor's annoyance. "I'm sorry that this doesn't fit your schedule, Mister Potter. I'm sure I can just skip preparing lesson plans for the spring, reviewing the scrolls from all of my classes, and enjoying the holidays for myself just so I can suit _your_ needs."

"Oh good. We see eye to eye then." Haley feinted relief.

"Out. _Now_."

Haley obeyed. But before closing the door, she poked her head back in and looked at her professor. "You know, we _almost_ has a civil conversation there. I really must be growing on you."

"_OUT!_"

The girl smiled as she closed the door behind her. It was easier to irritate Professor Snape since she knew that he wouldn't dare take points away from his own house.

Her tiredness overwhelming her once more, Haley returned to her room and readied herself for bed. 'If Snape _does_ find the antidote… what happens to Haley? I mean, I've made friends as Haley. Good friends. And I've gotten closer to some friends that I already have. This gender-switching things just got a whole lot more complicated…' And with that, Haley let sleep overcome her.

---

The next day, Haley found herself in Divination class with Blaise and Ethan.

"My poor, poor girl. Tread softly around the em… err… skunk! Yes, yes. It is a skunk!" Trelawny removed her hand from Haley's head and swept across the classroom to an unsuspecting Ravenclaw.

"A skunk?" Blaise looked at Haley questioningly.

"Is she implying that I smell? Do I smell?" Haley joked, grabbing her hair and sniffing it, causing Blaise to laugh quietly as to not attract their professor.

"She probably meant 'badger.'"

Both Blaise and Haley looked over at Ethan who hardly ever spoke in classes.

"A badger? Why a badger?" The girl looked at him questioningly.

"Well… the house animal for Hufflepuff is a badger. Maybe she meant to be wary of a Hufflepuff."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Ethan, you're not still on about that Valex guy all touchy-feely with Haley, are you?" Haley just rolled her eyes.

"Hey. I just call 'em like I see 'em." Ethan retorted.

"Or maybe she meant a moose! One that'll tackle me if I ever befriend another person of the opposite sex." Haley mocked.

"Or! Or maybe she meant an alligator that would bite her leg off if she snogged Crabbe or Goyle!" Blaise added.

"Ugh! I would rather take the alligator bite than snog either of them."

"I hate both of you." The hazel-eyed boy slumped in his seat as his friends continued to laugh at his expense.

With class over, the three Slytherins made their way back to their common room and crashed down into their usual spot.

"Oh!" Ethan sat back up. "I'm supposed to meet Creeves in the lab. I'll catch you two later."

"Did you know he was a photographer?" Haley asked.

"Course I do. I guess he finally showed you his portfolio?"

"Yeah. You knew about it?"

"Well, Ethan _is_ one of my best friends. Our friendship wouldn't be much if I didn't know what his interests were." He winked at the girl.

Haley scoffed. "For a moment there, his interest seemed like it was borderline obsession."

"I suppose you're right. Speaking of interests, what interests me most is your growing fondness for my other best friend."

"What are you talking about? I'm not fond of _that_ one at all."

"Sure, sure."

Wanting a change of subject, Haley pulled out her Herbology notes. "I suppose I should get started on that essay for Herbology…" Haley frowned, digging through her things to find her quill.

"You haven't started yet? That's due in two days!" Blaise stared at her.

"Well with being sick and all those detentions, homework just seemed to pile up."

"Well why don't you just ask Draco for help? I'm sure he's _more_ than willing." Blaise grinned.

"Oh, come off it."

"He _will_ miss you when you change back, you know."

"Well it's inevita…" Haley froze. Slowly, she looked back up at the boy sitting across from her, words seemingly having escaped her.

"So it's true then?" Blaise stood and walked over to the girl, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "You really _are_ Harry Potter?"

"I-I… erm, no…"

Blaise brushed Haley's bangs off of her forehead, revealing the telltale scar. Another grin spread across his face.

Haley slapped his hand away and patted her hair back down over her head. Her heart was pounding a thousand beats per second. 'He knows, he knows, he knows! Shit!' The two said nothing as they stared at each other in wonder.

Finally, it was Blaise who broke the silence. "I've never been this close to a celebrity before." He chuckled.

"I'm not… I-um…"

Blaise put a hand on her shoulder and leaned to whisper in her ear. "Relax, Harry. I won't tell anyone your secret." He sat back upright, his voice returning to its regular volume. "I haven't so far, have I? Then again, I only just confirmed it. But I stand by it, none the less."

"How… How did you know?"

"I thought it was rather odd how the _you_-you disappeared out of the blue. No notice whatsoever. And the whole exchange student thing, I've never heard of them doing this before so why now? So I watched you for a little bit that first night. It was interesting to me how this 'Haley Jones,' who looked a tad like Harry Potter, gravitated towards all of Harry Potter's friends. And then after hearing Ethan's theory-"

"Wait! Ethan knows?"

"No… I don't think he does yet. Or if he does, he hasn't confirmed it. If you want to keep this a secret from him, you'd have to get rid of all of his pictures of you. That's where he first got the idea."

"What?"

"He said that he was developing a picture of you while Creevy was developing an old picture of, well, you. And when both images began to show, they briefly looked like it was a picture of the same person. And it doesn't help that Creevy has all those pictures. A lot of the pictures Ethan has mirrors pictures that Creevy has."

Haley dropped her head into her hands. This was not good.

"I said, 'relax.'" He eased the girl back into a sitting position so he could look her in the eye. "Your secret is safe with me." Blaise smiled softly, trying to reassure her. "I have nothing to gain from exposing you. I think I have more to gain by _keeping_ this secret."

"You're going to blackmail me?"

Again, Blaise chuckled. "Despite you keeping this _huge_ secret from me, that doesn't make you any less my friend. You're you. I'm friends with who _you_ are and not what you _look_ like. By keeping your secret, I keep my friend."

A small smile played on Haley's lips. "How are you in Slytherin? You're much too sappy for this house."

Blaise let out a hearty laugh. "Remember, you're my _friend._ You'd be in serious trouble if you weren't. Then again, you did fend off Voldemort. Maybe I'd be the one in trouble."

Haley let out a full smile. "Definitely. I'd hex you into oblivion."

"You know, I've had my share of threats, but this one I actually believe."

The two laughed once more.

"You two are a little cozy, aren't you?"

The two friends looked to see Draco watching them carefully. Haley blushed. She just remembered how close Blaise was sitting to her. It _would_ look "cozy" from another's point of view.

"Jealous, Draco?" Blaise smiled.

Draco scoffed before collapsing into a seat. "Take her. She's all yours."

"As if I were yours to give!" Haley growled.

Blaise shrugged. "If you say so…"

And with that, Blaise took hold of Haley's chin and kissed her long and full on the lips. Draco quickly sat up, shock and a bit of anger exuding from his core. Haley, on the other hand, was too shocked to really do anything about the boy kissing her.

After he could take no more, which wasn't much to begin with, Draco stood up and walked over to the two. Pushing them apart, he growled, "that's quite enough!"

Blaise was still smiling his playful smile. "Just testing the waters. I don't think I'll ever have the chance to do that again." He winked at Haley.

"But you know I'm-" she started.

"Like I care," the boy replied with a wave of his hand, and a look at Haley telling her to shut up or blow her cover. "I just wanted to know what it was like. And you should know, Draco," he turned to his friend. "It's great. You should be careful, else you'll have to fight Ethan _and_ me."

"What!" Haley and Draco yelled, simultaneously.

Blaise simply stood and took Haley's hand in his. "See you later, _Mon Cherie_!" He kissed her on the hand before walking away.

Haley wiped her hand and her lips on her robes. "This is getting ridiculous…"

Draco took a seat where Blaise had been sitting right in front of the girl. "You like Blaise?"

"Not in the way you're assuming I do," she said in a tone warning Draco not to start this again.

"What was that about then?"

"I think that's something you should ask him. _He_ kissed _me_, remember?"

"Yes, but you clearly let him."

"No I didn't!"

"You weren't exactly fighting him off!"

"I was surprised!"

"For a good whole minute?!"

"It was _not_ a minute! More like a two seconds!"

"Two seconds too long! If you really didn't like Blaise in that way, you wouldn't have even let him get close enough to do that and you two seemed more than just close when I walked in."

"Would you prefer it if he were Ethan instead?" Haley knew exactly which buttons to push when Draco was irritating her. And now, he was _definitely_ irritating her.

Draco sneered. "You know how I feel about Maxwell."

"And apparently, you feel the same towards Blaise."

"No way. Blaise and Ethan are different."

"Then why are you so upset that he was sitting _this_ close to me?" The girl emphasized her point by scooting closer towards Draco. "Nothing happened. Nothing's _going_ to happen. I hate everyone," she said, placing a hand upon her friend's shoulder. "Including you."

At this, Draco let out a small laugh.

Haley smiled. "See?" she said softly. "Utter detest. You make me want to hurl. I'll probably live in a cave after school is over just so I don't have to see your disgusting face. Better?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Haley scooted back into her seat, resting her arms lazily across her chest. "Good. Now help me with my Herbology essay. I haven't got the slightest idea where to start."

Draco looked at his friend incredulously. "You haven't even started? It was assigned a week ago!"

"Yes, yes. I'm a terrible student. Blah blah blah. Are you going to help me or not? I can always go to Hermione for help. Or even Neville."

The blonde scoffed. "Longbottom? You'd rather go to Longbottom for help?"

"Why not? He's an excellent Herbology student."

"Right. Quite the _idiot_ savant."

Haley glared. "Just for that, I'm leaving. Maybe if you've removed the thumb from your bum in time, I'll see you at supper." She stood, prepared to walk away, but the hand around her wrist stopped her from going any farther.

"Jones, I was kidding. Despite his many… shortcomings… I will admit that Longbottom is no fool."

"That's very nice of you, Draco. There really _is_ a person underneath all that ego."

Draco simply rolled his eyes. "Do you want my help or not?"

"You know… I think I _will_ ask Neville for help."

"What?" Draco stared at her in disbelief.

"Seriously." Haley started packing up her things. "I'll see you at supper, then?"

"I suppose…"

"Aw. Cheer up, Malfoy. No Longbottom could ever take your place." In seeing the boy about to retort, she added, "Let's leave it at that before I find a reason to retract that statement."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine." He took one of Haley's hands and held it between his. "Just promise me one thing before you go."

"What?"

"Please, under all circumstances, don't kiss Longbottom. And don't let _him_ kiss _you_ either."

Haley blew a raspberry before snatching her hand back from the boy and walking away. "For all you know, Neville could be my soul mate," she called over her shoulder.

"If Longbottom's your soul mate, I'll personally fund your wedding before drowning myself in the English Channel."

"Put that in your Remembrall! I'll hold you to it!" And with that, Haley left the Slytherin common room to find her Gryffindor friend.

---

"Wait… was it? No, it was… no…oh, rubbish…"

"Hello, Neville!"

The Gryffindor looked up from his notes and gave Haley a sheepish grin. "Hello, Haley."

Haley had searched high and low for the boy, only to find out he was merely in the library. "I'm glad I found you. I was actually hoping that you would be able to help me with my Herbology essay."

"Oh. You want _my_ help?"

"Of course! You're brilliant when it comes to Herbology."

The boy blushed at the compliment. "Okay… well… I've got to finish up some potions work and then I can help you, all right?"

"Potions? We don't have anything assigned, do we?"

"Well, no. But Professor Snape gave me some extra work."

"That git!"

"No, no! Not like that. It's actually really helpful. I've been able to successfully make that _Transpartium_ potion with his help. He even showed me how to make a potion that gives a person warts on their bum. It's very similar, the two. I suppose that's why he showed me."

Haley had to sit. "So wait. Snape's been helping you with potions?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit. Because, you know, Potions and Herbology sort of work hand in hand. He still scares me though."

Haley laughed. "Well, that hair is enough to scare anyone."

Neville chuckled. "I've been really worried though. You see, before you came we actually made the _Transpartium_ potion in class. I made mine with Harry Potter. I don't think it came out too well. I've been hearing rumors."

"Rumors? Like what?"

Neville leaned in towards the girl. He whispered, "Well, I've heard the real reason Harry had to leave the school was because the potion poisoned him and now he's in Mungo's trying to get better. I've also heard that maybe he's sprouted a new limb or even a tail!"

"That's rubbish, Neville. _I'm_ here so of course Harry's at the other school."

"But you can't know that for sure, can you? I mean, I've never even heard of the exchange program, you know? And I've never heard Harry talk about it and we've been mates for years now. Maybe they brought you in saying they're taking Harry out just to cover up the fact that I killed Harry Potter! They could've left you in the dark just as much as we are!"

"You did not kill Harry, Neville. I promise you that." This didn't seem to console her friend. Haley bit her lip.

'If I tell him the truth, then that's one more person who knows! And Blaise already knows and that was a shock on its own! I can't let anyone else find out!' But in seeing Neville's distressed demeanor, she sighed. 'But I know I can trust Neville. He deserves to know…'

"Neville, I can guarantee you that Harry Potter is not dead, nor does he have a tail or anything of the sort."

"How?"

Haley looked around. In seeing that the coast was clear, she brushed aside her bangs, showing off her scar. "Because, Neville. _I'm_ Harry."

"WHAT?!" Neville's eyes were the size of saucers. Quickly, Haley threw her hands over Neville's lips. "Hmmrry? Issatcho?"

"Neville, hush! Please!" Haley looked around again, making sure that Neville's little outburst hadn't drawn any attention. Luckily, the coast was still clear. "It's me, Neville. That potion didn't kill me. It just… turned me into a girl."

Neville continued to stare with his mouth open.

"I'm trusting you, Neville. You can't say a word of this to anyone."

Without a word, the boy vigorously nodded. He leaned forward again, squinting at the girl as if it would clarify the situation for him. "That's really you then, Harry?"

"Yes, it's me. The whole Haley Jones bit was to cover up more unwanted attention towards me."

Suddenly, Neville gasped. "Then I did this to you! I did this-!"

Again, Haley covered Neville's mouth, effectively quieting her friend. "Neville! Please!" She slowly moved her hands away.

"Sorry…" he whispered. "So I did this to you, then?"

"You can't blame yourself, Neville. If Snape had made you drink the potion, you'd be in my place. And remember, we _both_ made that potion. I'm at fault just as much as you."

Neville scoffed. "Yeah right… but thanks anyway."

Haley offered her friend a small smile.

"If it can help you some, I think it'd do you good if you were to steer clear of Dean and Seamus." Neville said rather timidly.

"What? Why?"

"That's where I heard the rumors from. I mean, I don't think they knew I was in the room with them, but over by Seamus' bed I could hear Dean talking about you-er, the girl you."

"Dean? He _has_ been acting a little strange around me ever since I changed…"

"Yeah…I think he might know or he's really really suspecting something's up. And as for Seamus, well he's too dense for anything."

Haley laughed. "Thanks Neville. I'll keep all this in mind. And you won't say anything, right?"

"You can count on me," he grinned. "Now. About your essay… I can't believe you haven't even started!"

Haley rolled her eyes before pulling out a piece of parchment to begin work.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

I know, I know. I take FOR-EV-ER to update!! Sorry! But I don't think I'll ever abandon this story. I like to finish things. This included. Half of this chapter has been sitting around on my computer and I just didn't know where to go with the rest of it. But then I figured why not shed a little light on Neville cause I finally read all the books and Neville is badass. And Neville deserves to know and he's a good, trustworthy friend of Harry's anyway. But please, this is no Harry/Neville ship. Look elsewhere for that. I always thought Blaise was brilliant in his own way. So… voila! Plus, I like Blaise. I want him and Harry to be friends after this and the only way they can be is if Blaise knows. Woo. But please. This is no Harry/Blaise ship either. Look elsewhere for that.

Thanks for reading and not killing me in my sleep!! Reviews are wonderful and make me realize that I'm not the only one reading this! I already know how this ends! Let me know that you want to know too!!


	14. Face It

The Exchange – Face It

* * *

Haley's detention with Hagrid didn't really feel like a detention at all. It was her duty to pick up a worm-like creature called a "blastwort" and throw it against Hagrid's hut. In doing so, the blastwort would release a paint-like substance, one that is impossible to remove by hand or even with magic. By making the creature release this substance, Hagrid wouldn't have to worry about the blastworts exploding on the students during his lessons the next day.

Haley had to admit that all this throwing and exploding was pretty fun. It was fun seeing all the different colors the blastworts released. So that the substance wouldn't stain her clothes, every time she threw a blastwort Haley would duck behind a large shield Hagrid had put up for her. After a while, the girl found it easy to pretend that she was throwing grenades at invisible opponents. A childish glee rang throughout her core, which followed her all the way back into the Slytherin common room.

In spotting a particular blonde sitting in front of a fireplace, Haley couldn't resist the urge of grabbing a pillow from a nearby seat and launching it across the room at her target. She giggled as the pillow flew through the air before quickly ducking behind the aforementioned seat.

"Oof!!"

This was all Haley needed to hear to trigger a fit of laughter. Not wanting to give away her position, she stifled the laughs.

"Who did that?!"

Haley could tell Draco was annoyed. It only added to her joy. The laughs were getting harder to control at this point.

Draco scanned the room for the offending pillow thrower. Everyone else in the room just stared back at him in confusion. And that's when he heard it. A tiny snicker. The Head Boy grabbed the offensive pillow and slowly crept towards the sound. He heard a second snicker, and at that point knew with whom he was dealing with. This was war.

Draco swung the pillow, earning a little gasp from its victim.

Haley abruptly stood. There she saw Draco smirking at her with a pillow in one hand. Her eyes quickly scanned the room. There!

Draco followed Haley's gaze and immediately lost his smirk. "Don't you-"

The boy couldn't finish his sentence for Haley made a mad dash for another pillow and armed herself with the feather-filled object. Knowing that her opponent was right behind her, she swung around, pillow in hand, making contact with Draco's chest.

"Jones!"

"Take it like a man, Malfoy!" Haley grinned.

And so the two commenced a rather childish battle. Each pillow strike was met with another blow and another. The others in the common room continued to stare in disbelief while others retreated to their dorms as to not get caught in the crossfire.

"This is mad!" Draco rationalized, despite the grin on his face. "We're much too mature for such- oof!"

"Is this the sound of a forefeit?" Haley mocked. "Just admit it, Malfoy! I'm much better than you at ev- oof!"

"Ha! How do like that? You better get used to it!" The blonde ducked Haley's blow. "Missed m- oof!"

"And it's Jones with another quick blow!" Haley cheered herself on. "You're terrible at this, Draco."

"I'll show you!" Draco charged at the girl, pillow at hand.

Haley took this opportunity to strike again, but with the swiftness of a fox, Draco dodged the attack and countered with his own, all the while managing to snatch Haley's pillow out of her grasp. The force of the blow knocked the girl on her bum as she stared off in surprise and a bit of awe in having been toppled. She focused her gaze on the one towering above her with a triumphant smirk spread across his face.

"I. Win."

The girl scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You cheated."

"How on Earth did I cheat?"

"I don't know. You used some spell or something…"

"I did no such thing!"

"That's the only explanation-"

"Just face it, Jones. I beat you fair and square."

Haley frowned. "…Fine. You win."

At this, Draco tossed the pillows onto a nearby couch and offered a hand to his friend. "Truce?"

"Truce." Haley clasped the hand held out to her and accepted the help up.

The two made their way to the nearby couch that held their once battle weapons. The plopped down, suddenly exhausted by their childish antics.

"What on Earth inspired such tomfoolery?" Draco wondered, lazily draping an arm around Haley's shoulders, which she gladly leaned into.

"Blastworts."

"What?"

"A paint-filled, worm-like creature. I learned about them in detention."

"These detentions are getting rather ridiculous."

"But I learn oh so many things there. I should have detention _every_ night."

Draco scoffed. "That can easily be arranged."

"You'd give me detention?"

Silence. And then, "…No."

Haley looked up at Draco, who was staring off in the distance. "No?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because… I'd miss you too much."

Haley settled back into her seat, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Me too."

---

The next day flew by with ease. Classes were a bore and meals were only mildly entertaining. Neville helped Haley finish up her essay since it was due the next day. And somehow, after all of that, Haley found herself walking through snow-littered grounds in the company of Blaise Zabini.

"I heard there was a battle in the common room last night. I must admit, I am rather upset that I missed such flirting."

"What?! It was a battle! There's no flirting in battles!"

"Spare me. Battles are your versions of foreplay."

"Ugh! As if!"

"Then why, my dear, are you turning red?"

The two stopped in their tracks as Haley covered her face in her hands. Even through her gloves, she could tell she was getting warm. She shook her head. "It was a pillow fight. Harmless lukewarm pillow fight."

Blaise placed a hand on either of Haley's shoulders. "You're in denial, my friend. You can't see past the tip of your nose." At that, he bopped her on the mentioned appendage with his index finger.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I despise Malfoy. Don't you recall what you discovered just yesterday?"

"Yes, yes. You're Harry Potter. Blah blah." Blaise continued walking with Haley following beside him. "It amazes me how awful you two got along while you were a boy and how well you get along while you're a girl."

In hearing this, Haley looked down, feeling a little bitter.

"But Draco's all about pretenses," the boy carried on, not noticing his friend's sudden somber demeanor. "You know those Malfoys, all high and mighty."

"You've got _that_ right…" Haley scoffed.

"He's got to keep that little façade up, else he'll ruin the family name, or whatever," he said with a wave of his hand. He stopped again and spun around to look at the girl behind him. "But he's not without feeling either. There's a lot going on in that pretty little head of his."

With utter seriousness, Haley stared Blaise in the eye and asked, "…Do you _like_ him?"

Blaise broke out into laughter. "Of course not! I am of the heterosexual nature. But you on the other hand…"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means, love, that for a boy trapped in a girl's body, you seem rather attached to a particular boy trapped in, well, a boy's body."

"I am _not_ attached to _anyone_."

"I reiterate. You're in denial, my friend."

"I _can't_ like Malfoy. Like you clearly stated, I am a boy trapped in a girl's body."

"You think that matters here? Even our dear old Dumbledore's a poof."

"What?!"

"Hadn't you noticed?"

"No! Seriously?"

"Completely."

"No way…"

"But that's off topic. We're talking about you, Mister Potter. So what if you're both boys?"

"I think you're forgetting. We're not _just_ two boys. He's Malfoy. I'm Potter. There's quite a significance there. You of all people should know that he and I have more than our fair share of differences."

Blaise spun back around and proceeded his stroll along the school grounds. "You'd be surprised by what I know."

"What are you getting at? Wait. Scratch that. Why are you so interested in me getting attached to Malfoy?"

Blaise was silent for a bit. He stopped again, turned slowly and held Haley's hands in his. "Honestly? I haven't seen him this happy in a long time. For whatever the reason may be, you make him happy. And I'm pretty sure he makes you happy as well. So what's so wrong about wanting my two friends to be happy with one another?"

Haley felt the blush creep up again, but caught herself. She looked down. "I have to change back, you know…" she said in a quiet voice. Blaise wasn't sure that she was really talking to him, rather more to herself. "I will eventually have to leave this form and go back to being me. The real me. How can we be happy when I finally change back and only one is happy with the other? So even if I do like him, and I'm not saying I do, nothing can come of it because nothing will _ever_ come of it."

The girl pulled her hands away from the other's. Slowly, she turned and walked away.

"Haley!" Blaise called.

"Go on. I've got to go to detention," she called back, heading towards the greenhouse.

Blaise followed her with his eyes. "Blast…" With a shake of his head, he headed back to the school.

---

"What luck! I've two helpers tonight!" Madame Sprout grinned. "Miss Jones, Mister Valex, follow me please."

The two students trailed their portly professor towards a line of tables covered in empty terra cotta pots.

"Watch carefully. Professor Snape needs these as soon as possible and they'll only grow properly if this is done properly. They're for a potion he's currently working on," the Head of Hufflepuff offered Haley a discreet glance, giving the younger girl a clear idea of what she'll be helping the Potions professor with.

"Mister Valex, because your hand is still a bit sore, you'll be scooping soil into the pots. Three and a half scoops, no more, no less. Miss Jones, you'll be planting the Grubsnatch and covering it with one more half scoop of soil. Any questions?"

"I have one," Haley piped, raising her hand. "What's a Grubsnatch?"

"Oh! Right! Just a moment!" Professor Sprout cleared her throat. "_Accio Grubsnatch!_"

Just then, a rather large bag floated from a separate room into the greenhouse. Professor Sprout grabbed the bag and pulled something out of it. It was a round ball, the size of a snitch, covered in a slimy, green coating. "This, my dears, is a Grubsnatch. They have to be planted in separate pots simply because they snatch each others' grub!" She smiled happily. "In their core, they produce an ingredient known to counteract the workings of a number of potent potions. Haley, dear. Be sure to use gloves. This goo they spew can get rather sticky. Carry on, loves!" And with that, Madame Sprout disappeared into her office.

Haley frowned at the bag in front of her. "Why do _I_ have to deal with the goo?"

"If you wish, I'll trade with you," Leir offered.

The girl smiled. "It's quite all right. Your wrist needs its rest. Besides. I think I can manage."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Thank you, though."

The two proceeded to do their chores, with the occasional grumble from Haley over how the Grubsnatches stuck to her gloves. She refused to let it bring her spirits down, though.

"So what are you in for?" she asked the other.

Leir smiled. "I… kidnapped Mrs. Norris…"

"What?! Why on Earth would you do that?"

"That blasted cat was following me around. It was creepy. So I took her and hid her in the broom shack out on the pitch. Needless to say, Filch wasn't very happy about that."

Haley smiled. "So what was your punishment?"

"Actually, it was just this one detention. Filch was just so happy that Mrs. Norris came back that I guess it twisted his demented nature."

"That is so not fair. I threaten to attack one of my classmates and I get a week's worth of detention. You actually kidnap Filch's cat and you only get a day."

"And it's not even that bad of a detention. I mean, I get to spend it with you."

"Oh…errr…" Haley blushed.

"Oh I'm sorry. Was that out of line? I shouldn't have-"

"No, no. It's all right. It's just- Nothing. I'm glad I have company for this detention, too."

The two worked on, idle chat filling the air.

"Two older brothers and, get this, four older sisters."

"Wow. That's enough to contend with the Weasleys."

"I _know_, but luckily for us, my great-grandmother came into substantial wealth in her time. We're pretty well off, us Valex folk. I mean, I've heard of what the Weasleys have been through. It's got to be tough with so many children. My mum's got maids and nannies. Mrs. Weasley must be strong to deal with it on her own."

"Well she's not on her own, is she? She's got her husband. And her older children were a great help on the little ones as well."

"How do you know?"

"Oh. Err, Ron and I are good friends. He's told me quite a bit about his family. They're a tight bunch, them."

"How about you? Brothers? Sisters?"

"None. I'm an only child."

"Lucky one, you are. You're not being constantly compared to your siblings. And when you're not being compared, you're being completely ignored," Leir scooped the soil rather bitterly. "It's hard to be noticed in a crowd."

"But you have others with you. They love you. They're there for you," the green-eyed girl patted soil over the grubsnatch. "Me… I'm on my own."

"To each his own, I suppose," the boy shrugged.

The two finished potting the grubsnatches with ease. Feeling utterly disgusting being covered with soil and grubsnatch goo, Haley promptly made her way to her room to take a much-needed bath. In the middle of relaxing, Haley groaned in hearing a knock come upon her door.

"I'm a little busy!" she called.

"Jones, I'm bored!"

"That's not my problem, Malfoy!"

"My brain cells need stimulation!"

"Again, not my problem! Find someone else!"

"Blaise is currently M-I-A!"

"So? What about Crabbe? Or Goyle?"

"I said my _brain cells_ need stimulation!"

"Ugh. Have you _no_ friends?!"

No response came right away. And then, "You're naked right now, aren't you?"

A blush crept all over Haley's body. "Shut up!"

"You're in the bath, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Malfoy!!"

Haley heard a laugh. That was enough. She climbed out of the bath, threw a robe on and swung her door open violently. "What do you want?"

The smile quickly erased from Draco's face. "Are you mad?" He grabbed Haley's shoulders and pushed her back into her room, closing the door behind him. "What if someone saw you? Have you any idea what might happen if someone saw you like this?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "It's your own fault, you fool." She made her way back into her washroom, only slightly closing the door behind her so she could still hear her friend.

"How is it my fault? Where are you going?" he followed.

"To continue my bath."

Draco abruptly stopped before entering the washroom. "You _are_ well aware that I'm in here, are you not?"

"Yes, well I can't do much about that, now can I?" Haley stated matter-of-factly as she climbed back into her tub. "You're welcome to leave at any moment, you know."

"If I leave, this door will be unlocked while you're in there and someone could easily come in and take advantage of you, especially if they've seen you in your bathrobe."

"So get out and watch my door."

"I think you're much safer if I'm in here."

"Whatever. Pervert."

"I am not!"

"Malfoy, now is relaxing time. If you've nothing better to do than to disrupt this time, I suggest you leave."

"…Fine."

"You're leaving?"

"I'm staying." Draco hopped into Haley's bed, lying down so that he was staring at the canopy above. "So what did you learn at tonight's detention?"

"Grubsnatches are repulsive."

"Grubsnatches? Let me guess. You had to pot them?"

"Indeed. But luckily, I wasn't alone. Leir was there."

"The Hufflepuff boy?"

"Yes, he's in Hufflepuff," Haley replied through gritted teeth.

"What was _he_ doing there? Brownnosing his Head of House?"

"As a matter of fact, he was _sent_ there for detention."

"Ooo, the badger's a rebel is he?"

"Be nice. Or I'm kicking you out."

"Fine, fine. What was _Leir_ in for?"

"Apparently, he hid Mrs. Norris in the broom shack."

"That was _him_?"

"I know. I was just as surprised when he told me."

"Never knew the badger had it in him…"

"Malfoy…" Haley warned.

"Oh, all right. What else did _Leir_ tell you?"

"Nothing much. We just talked about random stuff, really."

"Ah. So you're saying he doesn't have much substance?"

"I said no such thing!"

"Anyway," he continued, ignoring Haley's comment. "What were you talking to Blaise about earlier today?"

Haley's heart leapt to her throat. "What?"

"…I saw you two from a second floor window. You two were walking around in the snow. For a moment there, you were even holding hands."

"Oh. Ummm… it was nothing."

"Clearly, you're lying."

"Cover your eyes, I'm stepping out."

"Like I'd ever want to see you-"

"Cover them or I stab them out using your own wand."

"Fine, fine." Draco grabbed the pillow next to his head and covered his face. "Covered."

Haley slipped into her robe and peeked out the door before walking out. Quickly, she grabbed her pajamas and hopped back into her washroom.

"All clear yet?"

"It was fine a long time ago. I was just enjoying the silence."

"Ha. Ha," the boy replied, dryly, tossing the pillow to the side.

Haley quickly dried herself and slipped into her pajamas.

"You never answered my question."

"I told you, it was nothing."

"Even through that door, I know you're lying."

The girl towel dried her hair before brushing through it, a job she rather disliked but found necessary. "You've obviously got your own ideas of what was said. Is anything I'm going to say really going to change your mind?"

"You're still avoiding the question."

Haley gave a little stomp. 'He's too smart for his own good…' she thought. "Why do you even care?"

"Blaise is my friend. If you two are having a little rendezvous, I'd like to know so I can tell him what a pain you really are."

Haley swung the washroom door open, burning daggers into the back of Draco's skull. "Remind me again why I don't kick you out right now," she growled.

"Well why don't you then?" he sat up.

"What's your problem, Malfoy?"

"When did you start calling me Malfoy, again?"

"Wha-" Haley stopped. When _did_ she go back to calling him 'Malfoy?' She shook her head. "What does it matter?"

"It matters to me."

"If it makes you feel better, I'll go back to calling you Draco. Better?"

"Not really. Do you really have a secret affair with Blaise?"

"Honestly, Draco. You're being ridiculous."

"Am I? Just yesterday you two were sitting mere _centimeters_ apart before you claim _he_ kissed _you_. And today, I see you two taking a leisure stroll through the winter air while holding hands. What am I _supposed_ to think?"

"No, all right! There's no secret affair! We were just talking, that's all!"

"Do you like him, though?"

"As a _friend_… You're just as bad as Ethan…"

Draco hopped off the bed. "Do _not_ lump me together with _Maxwell_."

"Well, if you're acting like a jealous buffoon just as he does, I can't help but 'lump' you together. What've you got to be jealous over anyway?"

Draco turned away from Haley. He was quiet for a bit before he spoke. "Obviously, I'm incredibly popular." At this, Haley scoffed. He continued anyway. "But there are only a few that I consider to be more or less an equal. By some divine _miracle_, you're one of those few." Another scoff. This time, Draco turned back around to look Haley in the eye. "If you manage to find a significant other during your time here, that's one less friend I have to turn to. You'll obviously be spending all your time with that person. I'm jealous of any man who takes my friend from me."

"Okay, first of all, I highly _highly_ doubt that there will be any man that I will consider my significant other during my time here. Second of all, even if by some rare chance that I _do_ find someone, it's not likely I'd toss you aside like that. I might spend a bit more time away from you, but that doesn't mean I'll spend _all _my time away from you."

"But that's just it, isn't it? Your time is already eaten up so much. There's classes, then meals, and then there's the fact that it takes you _ages_ to do your homework-"

"I resent that!"

Draco continued on, ignoring Haley's comment again. "Then of course there's your detentions. Plus, you've got a whirlwind of friends that you're always with. Your free time is severely lacking, Miss Jones. Add a sweetheart, and there's no time left for me."

Haley sighed and sat in her bed. "You're such a pansy, Draco."

"Am not," he countered half-heartedly as he took a seat next to her.

"Are too. When it comes down to it, you sound just like a child whose favorite pet is being taken away."

"Well if that's how it sounds, can I keep you?"

"Never ask that again. It's creepy."

Draco smiled before replying. "Though it sounds childish, it's how I feel."

"You do realize that I don't belong here, right? You know I'm not going to be here forever, right? I do eventually have to go back to where I came from."

The boy sighed. "I know that. And it's only more of a reason for me to want to spend as much time with you as I can. You will miss me too, won't you?"

It was Haley's turn to sigh. "…Of course I will."

"So… when you're gone, and more so while you're still here, don't forget me okay?"

"I could never."

Draco placed an arm around Haley's shoulders and rested his head atop hers.

"In the mean time," Haley started, leaning into Draco, "stop assuming I'm getting friendly with _any_one. I'm not."

"Of course not. You fancy me. And I'm certainly not just _any_one."

"You really have a way of spoiling the moment, don't you?"

"Are we having a moment?"

"Not anymore, obviously."

"But it's so clear how enamored you are with me."

"What?!"

"It's true. You wouldn't let just _any_one come into your room knowing that you're taking a bath right next door."

"I only let you in because I knew you were too much of a _pansy_ to do anything whilst I was taking a bath right next door."

"You know, I've only known you for two weeks."

"Yes. Two _long_ weeks."

"You already trust me this much after two weeks?"

"…I guess I do. And I suppose you do too."

"As if. Had it been me taking a bath next door, I know you'd come barging right in."

"Oh get out already!"

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Another update. Y'all must be a lucky bunch… Keep the comments coming! They only encourage me to keep going. Unless they're flames… then they just make me cry myself to sleep… Gah!! Haha. Not really. Flames just make me laugh.


	15. We've Got Your Back

The Exchange – We've Got Your Back

* * *

"Neville knows?" Ron seemed surprised that his roommate would know anything.

"Well, he seemed panicked. I didn't know how else to comfort him without telling him the truth," Haley replied.

"Harry, mate. Neville always seems panicked. We've bunked with him for years now. You haven't noticed?"

"Ronald! Be nice!" Hermione frowned.

The golden trio were relaxing on the docks at the back of the school. Classes were already over so the trio decided to spend some time outside. The winter air was getting colder every day, but it didn't seem to bother the three friends. They were simply content spending time with one another.

"It's _because_ we've bunked with Neville that I felt it was all right to tell him," Haley added. "Neville's trustworthy."

"Unless he writes it down on a piece of paper and loses it. It's happened before."

"Ronald!" This time Hermione tossed a bit of snow at her boyfriend.

"It's true!" The redhead frowned.

"That was ages ago. Neville's grown up quite a bit since then."

"And yet he'll still be the awkward Neville Longbottom I've grown up with."

This comment was met with more snow, causing Haley to smile at her two best friends.

"You know, I feel like I haven't seen you two in some time now," Haley frowned.

"That's because you haven't," Ron replied, throwing an arm around the green-eyed girl. "You've replaced us for a bunch of Slytherins."

"Have not!" Haley frowned. "No one could replace you two. Not after all we've been through."

"And don't you forget it," Ron winked.

Haley rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "_Anyway_, Neville told me that Dean is getting suspicious of me. And if Dean figures it out, then it's likely he'll tell Seamus. And you know Seamus…"

"I'm sure if you actually confront them about it, Seamus would keep it quiet," Hermione rationalized. "He is your friend, after all."

"Well, maybe. But as of right now, I'm more concerned about people finding out on their own. It's already happened."

"What?" both Hermione and Ron looked surprised.

"Blaise Zabini. He figured it out on his own."

"Wait. Is that the guy with the pictures of you?" Ron asked, looking confused.

"That's Ethan. Blaise is Ethan's friend," Hermione clarified. "Go on, Harry."

"He said he was suspicious from the start. But he really didn't think about it until _Ethan _hatched a theory."

"Wait. So Ethan _does_ know," Ron tried.

"No, he has a theory, but I don't think he knows just yet."

"If Ethan and Blaise are friends, won't Blaise spill?" Hermione looked concerned.

"He's told me he wouldn't. And I think I might be able to trust him with that. I'm more concerned with what might happen if Ethan figures it out."

"Especially since he has that crush on you."

"Oh! _That's_ Ethan."

The two girls looked at their third friend.

"What? I wasn't sure. There's so many to keep track of now," Ron frowned.

"Anyway, if Ethan finds out, do you think he'll be mad?"

"I don't know…" Haley bit her bottom lip. "I hope not. He seems all right."

"And besides," Ron piped. "If he _does_ have a problem, he'll have to face us."

"Definitely," Hermione smiled.

Haley beamed. "And that's why you lot are my best friends."

---

"I don't see why they didn't come to me right away. It's preposterous."

Haley was now spending time in yet another detention with Professor McGonagall, who apparently had some opinions of her own on how Haley's situation was dealt.

"Honestly! They should have come to me right away. You are a student in _my_ house, are you not? This whole nonsense about you in the Slytherin dorms, it's ridiculous! You would've been perfectly fine with the Gryffindors! Oh, Potter dear, you missed a spot."

Haley looked back at the floor she was currently scrubbing. She didn't notice any "spots" but scrubbed the area again as to not further upset a rather annoyed McGonagall. Plus, the professor's rantings were rather interesting to the girl.

"Are you learning anything there, Potter?"

"Erm… scrubbing builds character?" she tried.

McGonagall let out an exasperated sigh. "I meant with the Slytherins. Are you learning anything during your stay with the Slytherins?"

"Yes, Professor. I've learned quite a bit actually."

Another sigh, this time a more relieved sounding one. "Then I'm glad. Although, I worry about our game against the Slytherins…"

"So do I, Professor. Believe me. I would want nothing more than to be able to change back so I can play."

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall looked positively proud of Haley.

"Does that mean you'll let me go early?" the girl asked, hopeful.

"Of course not! Scrubbing builds character, Mister Potter. You were sent here for a reason."

"An _unfair_ reason!"

"Whatever the reason, you must learn from your mistakes. Carry on."

Haley sighed. 'So much for Gryffindor Pride…'

---

When Haley returned to the Slytherin common room, she was surprised to see it in shambles. A number of students were gathered around the mess, carrying on quiet conversations amongst themselves.

"Haley!"

The girl looked over to see Blaise waving her over. "Blaise, what happened here?"

"One word: Ethan."

"Ethan did this?"

"'Fraid so."

The boy in question was currently upturning the various seats in the room. Cushions were scattered, pillows were askew, chairs and tables were turned over.

"What happened?" Haley asked.

"Ugh!" Ethan groaned. He looked around the room one last time. With the flick of his wrist, the room was restored to order. He collapsed onto one of the couches as everyone else carried on as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Haley and Blaise made their way over to their friend.

"What was that about?" Blaise asked, ruffling Ethan's hair much to the latter's chagrin.

Hazel eyes shifted onto emerald green. Haley frowned. This didn't look good.

"My portfolio. It's missing."

"You mean the one with all those pictures of Haley?"

Ethan nodded, his eyes still transfixed on the girl in front of him.

"You've checked everywhere?" Haley asked.

"Of course." Finally, his gaze shifted away. "I've looked all over the dorm, the photo lab, this common room. There's no other place I could think of that it might be. In fact, I've never taken it out of the lab myself. I just thought that maybe I took it with me by accident and dropped it somewhere."

"Well… you can make more, can't you? It's not like the film's missing?"

"True, but…" his gaze shifted back on Haley before he quickly looked away.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked, bending over, placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder.

The boy bit his lip. Abruptly, he stood, taking Haley's hand in his. He led her outside the common room.

"Hey!" Blaise called, but the portrait closed behind them.

"What's going on-"

"I know," Ethan lowered his voice so only Haley could hear him.

"Know what?"

"I know about you, Haley… or should I say Harry?"

"Wha-what?" Haley suddenly felt _very_ uncomfortable with Ethan standing so close to her.

"I've known for about a week now."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ethan rolled his eyes and took a step back. "Stop lying to me. I know that you're really Harry Potter."

Haley dropped her gaze.

"Listen," he hissed. "If anyone finds my portfolio and sees all those pictures, they could probably figure it out too, especially if they have any suspicions in the first place. That's how _I_ figured it."

Haley dropped her head into her hands. This was really starting to irritate her.

"Seriously, Haley. This could be a proble-"

"If you know who I am, use my real name. Please," she frowned rubbing her temples. 'Why does everyone suddenly know…damn…'

"Harry, then. That portfolio. If they see it with any of Creevey's work, they-"

"Okay. I get it." Haley thought hard. "If the portfolio's missing, there's nothing we can really do about it now is there? The best we can do is hope that it shows up somewhere and that if someone does find it, they don't think anything of it."

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have been so careless with it…" Ethan looked truly regretful.

"It's all right. It's not like you did it on purpose."

"So… what now?"

"Hold on…" Haley looked up at Ethan. "You've known my true identity for a week now?"

Ethan nodded.

"But it was just this past Saturday that you said that you thought I was beautiful."

Ethan continued to look at her, seemingly unaware of where she was going with this.

"You said I was beautiful when you know that I'm Harry."

Now Ethan just looked confused. "…So?"

"_So_?" Haley repeated incredulously. "I'm a _boy_ Ethan!"

Again, nothing.

"I'm a boy. You're a boy. This doesn't concern you at all?"

"…Should it?"

"You're serious?"

Ethan took a step forward. "When I told you that I thought you were beautiful, I wasn't necessarily talking about the way you look. Don't get me wrong, you're very attractive. But beyond that, now that I've gotten the chance to get to know you, I can see what he likes about you…"

"What? Who?"

"Is there a problem here?"

Ethan smirked in hearing this particular voice. He took a few steps back before looking Draco in the eye. "No. Of course not."

Draco frowned. "I wasn't asking _you_, Maxwell." His gaze shifted towards his friend. Cold grey turned to caring in an instant. "Haley?"

"No. No problems. We were just talking."

He shifted his stare back onto Ethan, eyes returning to a stony state. "Then might I suggest that you move it along? Curfew starts in a few short minutes. I dare you to give me a reason to punish you."

Haley took that as her cue to step in between the boys. "All right, all right. No need for that. We're going." She took hold of Ethan's arm and began pulling him back into the common room.

Again Draco frowned. But he had duties to perform and so pushed any evil ideas away from his mind.

Haley led Ethan back to where Blaise was still sitting.

In seeing his two friends approach, Blaise sat up. "What was that about then?"

Haley shrugged. "He knows." She crashed onto the couch next to him as Ethan sat in the lounge seat adjacent to them.

"_He_ knows?" Ethan questioned.

"Hey! You know!" Blaise smiled. "Knew you'd figure it out, mate!"

"Apparently, he's known for some time now," Haley added.

"Well when did you find out?" Ethan asked Blaise.

"Just two days ago. I had been wondering about it ever since you said something a while ago. I only just confirmed it."

"Ha! So I've known it longer! I just didn't come out with it!"

"It's not a game, you two!" Haley frowned. "Though you two may know, someone else might figure it out. Someone else who isn't my friend."

"That's why I pulled him outside," Ethan explained to his blonde friend. "I figured it out through the pictures and comparing them with Creeves'. Someone else can easily do the same."

"Wait. You know and you still like him?" Blaise carried on, his mind clearly past the point his friends were trying to make.

Ethan merely shrugged.

"You pansied-arsed poof!" Blaise cheered, thoroughly amused by the goings-on. "You never told me you liked boys!"

"Not boys in particular. Let's just say I'm open to suggestion."

"Well what do you know… A bisexual bastard… Put 'er there, mate," Blaise held his hand out to his friend, which Ethan nonchalantly shook. "What about you?" He turned to Haley. "You ready to admit your poof power?"

"I am _not_ a poof!" Haley shook her head.

Blaise leaned over to Ethan. "In denial, that one. I've said it to him many times already-"

"Can we just move along?" The girl ushered. "I don't really want people knowing who I really am. They stare at me enough as Harry. I don't want to give them all another reason."

"Right. If I hear anything or see it, I'll return it right away," Blaise said sternly. "And anyway, if someone finds it and has a problem with it, they'll have _us_ to deal with."

Ethan nodded. "Definitely."

Haley had to stare at the two in front of her as a smile grew across her face. Though she loves McGonagall, the Gryffindor house and all her housemates, if it meant getting friends like Blaise and Ethan, Haley did not mind having to live with the Slytherins. She didn't mind one bit.

---

From the far end of the room, Pansy looked at the three sitting so chummy on the other side. She was livid. "It isn't fair…" Pansy whispered to herself. "Why _her_?"

Pansy turned and disappeared into the girls' dormitories… with an album held tightly in her hands.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

I'm totally on a roll, even though this one was shorter than the others. Anyway, praise the new year! I love McGonagall. She's that cool aunt that pretends to be badass but is really a big softie on the inside. Again, I remind you, I LOVE comments. They encourage me to write more and more and more. But remember, flames will only be laughed at at your expense. Woot.


	16. The Final Detention

The Exchange – The Final Detention

* * *

Haley awoke the next morning feeling pretty good. It was the last day of detention duty. Despite the fact that on the last day she was assigned to work with Professor Snape, Haley was still happy nonetheless that this detention was the last one. Unless she got in trouble again, of course. 

She also couldn't help but be happy that not only do Blaise and Ethan know about her true identity, they also accept her despite who she truly is. It was still a little weird knowing that Ethan liked her, boy or girl, but at least he didn't despise her.

'Now if only Draco could find out and be all right with it…' Haley shook her head. 'One can only dream…'

"Get up lazy bum! Breakfast starts in ten minutes!"

Haley smiled. "You know, Draco, you _are_ allowed to leave the common room on your own."

"Am I? Bloody hell… I'll be seeing you later then…"

The smile on Haley's lips only grew. She opened her door and there was Draco leaning against its frame. "Good morning."

It was Draco's turn to smile. "Good morning to you. You seem awfully cheerful today."

The raven-haired girl turned back into her room and grabbed her uniform. "Last day of detention. And considering how much I was beginning to loathe them, I am considerably cheerful to be rid of them."

"Ah. But think of all the wonderful things you learned from attending them."

Haley entered her washroom and began changing. "Hmm. Let's see. Your family is old, masks are going to attack me, first-years are messy as are Blastworts and Grubsnatches. And oh yes, scrubbing builds character. Yes, I can see how detention serves a meaningful purpose."

"Then I suppose you really have been rehabilitated from your destructive ways."

Haley snorted. "I still think my punishment was unfair."

"Well you can't do anything about it _now_, can you?"

"I suppose not," the girl stepped out and looked at her friend. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

---

The day was uneventful as usual. The only thing that managed to irk the Slytherin girl was the fact that she always felt like there were eyes on her. And she knew for a fact that there were. Every time she managed to glance in Pansy's direction, she spotted the girl staring at her with cautious eyes. But whenever Pansy realized Haley was looking back at her, she immediately looked away as if she hadn't been looking at all. Something was definitely up.

---

"So if you see it, please return it. I don't want to know what happens if it falls into the wrong hands." Haley finished explaining the missing portfolio to Hermione and Ron.

"We'll definitely keep an eye out," Hermione assured, Ron nodding in agreement.

"Oh and get this," Haley continued. "Now Ethan knows."

"_Ethan_ knows?" Hermione gasped. "How did that turn out?"

"Better than I imagined. I was afraid that he would be upset, but he was actually more concerned about someone else figuring it out than what it was he actually figured out."

"I'm confused on so many levels…" Ron shook his head. "Ethan, the crush guy, right?"

"Yes." Both Haley and Hermione nodded.

"But he doesn't care?"

"Nope."

"So then why keep this a secret at all? Everyone's figuring it out on their own, anyway. Such a hassle, this secret-keeping..." Ron whined.

"Because," the Slytherin started, "the people figuring it out are my friends. They're people who actually care for me. Now if anyone else who isn't my friend figures it out, then the news will spread and it will just give people another reason to give Harry Potter unwanted stares." Haley sighed. "At least those stares are gone while I'm in this form."

"You sure you don't want to stay a girl then?" the red head grinned.

"Please. I'm ready to go back to being me any day now."

"Are you really?" Hermione asked, looking thoughtful. "What about Malfoy?"

Haley paused. "What _about_ Malfoy?"

"You two are friends now. If you go back _now_, you'll no longer be friends, right?"

"Who cares?" Ron threw his hands up. "This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about! He's a smarmy-"

"Stop it, Ron," Haley frowned. Her eyes were shooting daggers at the boy.

"Harry, mate. Think about it," Ron reasoned. "If you do go back, you two can't possibly carry on with this friendship unless you're willing to change back into a girl just to spend time with him. The moment you go back to being Harry Potter is the moment he won't be 'Draco' anymore. He'll be the same old Malfoy that has tortured us for years."

"I know! Don't you think I've already thought about that? Malfoy hates me. The _real_ me. And it hurts whenever I realize that because I know now what it would've been like had we actually started off on the right foot. When I finally change back, I know a friendship with him is practically impossible. So… I guess… while I'm not me, it's okay. While I'm Haley, it's okay to be his friend. And I don't want that to change because I'll take whatever I can get."

"You should listen to yourself, Harry." Hermione was smiling to herself. "You sound completely enamored."

Haley crossed her arms over her chest. "Sod off."

"It's true, mate. I've never heard you talk about anyone the way you do Malfoy."

"Can we please just stop talking about him?"

"Yes, let's go back to Ethan," Hermione suggested. "How did he find out?"

"He compared his photographs with Colin's. I guess he just spotted too many similarities for it to be coincidental."

"And he's completely all right that his former crush is in fact a boy?" Hermione continued.

Haley gave a sharp laugh. "Actually, he apparently still likes me. He said he's known about who I really am for about a week now. And about the time he figured it out was when he clarified his _intentions_ toward me."

"He knows you're a boy and he still fancies you?" Ron looked incredulous.

"I feel just as you do," the Slytherin nodded at her friend. "But it's not like I can control what he feels. It is what it is."

"I think it's rather sweet." Hermione chirped.

Both of her friends turned to look at her, stunned.

"What? Not only does he accept you for who you really are on a friendship level, but he also still really cares for you on a… non-friendship level." The Head Girl reasoned. "Ethan can look past Haley Jones and Harry Potter. All he sees is you."

"Just like a girl…" Ron shook his head. "Always finding the romantic side of things."

"It wouldn't kill you to be a bit more romantic, Ronald!" his girlfriend frowned.

"I'm romantic!" the redhead countered.

"When was the last time you did _anything_ romantic?"

"Just yesterday. I offered you the last dinner roll on the table."

"You think _that's_ romantic?"

"Trust me, Hermione," Haley leaned towards the other girl. "At a dinner table filled with Weasleys, that _is_ romantic."

"Exactly! Put 'er there, mate!" Ron held his hand up, quickly earning a high-five from Haley.

Hermione shook her head in defeat. "Ugh…boys…"

---

"Wake up, Potter!"

Haley's eyes snapped open at the voice.

Professor Snape was glaring at her from behind his desk in his classroom. "You must keep the substance at a constant stir. If it settles too early, it will harden."

It was getting late and Haley was getting very tired. She couldn't help but start to doze after all the work Professor Snape had put her through. Still, she had to do as he said, so she continued to stir.

"Counter clockwise, Potter! It's a wonder I ever pass you in my classes," Professor Snape growled.

Haley rolled her eyes but did as she was told. She didn't want to do anything that might provoke her professor in giving her even more detention. Snape had used this time to make Haley help him find the antidote. She was forced to chop, dice, mince, wash, rinse, dry, scrub, scoop, and scrape all of the concoctions they had brewed. Three hours had already passed to no avail.

"These Grubsnatches need to be three times this size…" Professor Snape frowned.

"It's been hours Professor," Haley whined. "Curfew is already up. Can't I go yet?"

"Mister Potter, don't you think I'd much rather be in bed right now as well?" the professor glared, as he gave _Mrs_. Whiskas a bit of their new concoction. "Instead, I'm up at these late hours trying to find an antidote to _your_ mistake."

"You sleep at this time? I actually thought you were more of a nocturnal creature, but clearly-"

The look she received from her professor told her to stop now or face the consequences. "Clearly the fatigue is taking hold of your meager brain. Because of this, I will overlook your little outburst. Next time, I may not be so kind."

Just then, both teacher and student froze, eyes glued to the cage in front of them.

It was Snape who was first to move. He opened the cage and took hold of his tiny friend. Lifting its tail, Snape took a deep breath. "_Mr._ Whiskas…"

"_Mister?_ You mean… we did it?" Haley hurried over to the other side of the desk where the professor was standing with the tiny mouse. Tiredness forgotten, her heart was racing with excitement.

"Don't get too excited, Potter. There's still a number of factors to take into account."

"Like what? Mr. Whiskas is a Mister again! You did it Professor! You found the antidote!" By now, Haley was ready to let loose her growing excitement in the halls.

But then, both teacher and student froze again.

And again, it was Snape who was first to move. The Head of Slytherin sighed in defeat. He put his tiny friend back into its cage.

"What… what does that mean, Professor? What just happened?"

"It means, Potter, that this antidote is merely temporary." Snape closed his eyes and began to massage his temples. "I knew it was too early for the Grubsnatches…"

"So when will they be ready?"

"It's hard to know." Again, Snape sighed. "That's enough for tonight. You may go now."

"But Professor-"

"There's nothing we can do about it _now_ Potter. If the Grubsnatches aren't ready, then they aren't ready."

"But can't we just get them from somewhere else?"

Snape sneered. "Obviously, you don't pay attention in Herbology either. I'll have you know, Grubsnatches aren't exactly the most common things in the wizarding world. Their seeds don't scatter easily, considering their sticky outer coating, so when they grow they inevitably kill each other. However, we are fortunate enough to have Madame Sprout on our side. We will get more Grubsnatches when she finds them ready. And even then, it's not a sure bet that our creation tonight is the antidote."

And as quickly as it came, Haley's excitement vanished into thin air. She felt more deflated and more tired now than she had earlier that evening. "So… what now?"

"Now, we rest. Tomorrow is a new day."

Haley sighed. "All right. Good night, Professor."

Snape merely nodded.

'We were _so_ close! But at least we're making progress, right?' Haley tried to cheer herself up. She used her wand to light up her path to the Slytherin dorms. The halls were quiet, for everyone had retreated to their rooms for the night. But even after knowing this, Haley still felt that eerie sense of being watched.

Quickly, she spun around looking for someone, something, _any_thing that might make her feel this way.

'It's probably just me being used to Pansy staring at me all day…' Haley reasoned. 'That must be it… Or maybe Mrs. Norris was watching me in passing… it's got to be one of the two… even both…'

Even with this thought to calm her, Haley couldn't help but quicken her pace. Soon enough, she was in the comfort of the common room, the light from her wand extinguished and replaced by the light of the various fireplaces.

Haley made her way over to her dorm. While crossing the common room, a glint of light caught her eye. There, on a couch near her door was a figure sound asleep. Haley smiled. She walked over to the sleeping Draco and gently shook his shoulder.

Grey eyes lazily opened. "Har…"

"Draco, wake up." Haley said gently, thinking nothing of her friend's mumble.

Draco stretched. "Jones? What time is it?"

"Half past midnight… what were you doing here?"

The boy yawned before sitting up. "Waiting for you, obviously."

"You know you _are_ allowed to go to bed without saying good night to me."

"Am I? Bloody hell…"

Haley held out her hands, helping the boy up.

"So what did you learn tonight?" Draco asked through another yawn.

The girl paused and thought about it. Draco just looked at her quizzically. Then, much to the latter's surprise, Haley stepped forward and gave him a hug. Draco quickly returned the gesture, albeit a little confused.

"I suppose I learned…" Haley closed her eyes. "That the end is almost near."

"What?"

Haley broke the embrace and smiled up at her friend. "Nothing. Bed?"

"Mm. Definitely."

The two walked over to their doors and unlocked them.

"Draco?" Haley paused again before opening her door.

"Hm?"

"I take it back."

"What?"

"From now on, you _have_ to say good night to me."

Draco smiled. "All right… Good night, Haley."

"…Good night, Draco."

And with that, the two went their separate ways, only to meet again in their dreams.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Another short chapter, but I found this to be an excellent place to stop. At last! Progress! But those darn Grubsnatches. They played more of an important role than I even knew. Haha. And I don't know about you, but offering up the last dinner roll is awfully romantic in my book. Haha. Not really. Well… maybe. Who knows?

Keep the comments coming! In fact, if you even read this bit, which I usually skip when _I_ read simply because it cuts into the flow of the story, I'd like you to do me a favor. Anywhere in your comment, mention flying monkeys. I think that's profound enough, no? If not, I won't hate you but it'll definitely bring a smile to my face if you do. Haha. Okay! Now to work on the next chapter… Heigh ho…


	17. Harry Potter Madness

The Exchange – Harry Potter Madness

* * *

Haley awoke with a start that next morning. A grin spread out across her face. "I can fly!"

Quickly Haley got dressed, excitement running through her veins. She hurriedly locked her door, just as Draco was leaving his room.

"Haley-"

"Sorry, Draco. No time!" And just like that, Haley ran out of the common room, leaving a stunned Draco.

The raven-haired girl raced to the Great Hall, not caring who was staring at her fly by. She sped right up to the teacher's table and stopped right in front of Professor McGonagall, much to the elderly lady's surprise.

"Mister Potter, you're extremely energetic this morni-"

"Professor! I can fly!" Haley panted.

"What are you talking about, dear boy?" McGonagall tossed a concerned look at Professor Flitwick, who was sitting next to her. The smaller teacher's face mirrored her own.

"I mean, Quidditch! Saturday's match! I can play!" Haley was grinning ear to ear by now.

"How on Earth-"

"Last night, Professor Snape found a temporary antidote. If I can use it on Saturday-"

"You can play in Saturday's match…" Professor McGonagall finished.

Haley nodded with vigor, but then paused. "Wait. Has the team even practiced? You know, with their captain being gone?"

"Of course, Potter." The Transfiguration professor waved. "Dean Thomas has been given the role of temporary captain in your stead. I will not have my team out of shape."

"Ah. Good." The excitement returned to Haley's veins.

"How about you? Are you still fit to fly?"

"Do you really have to ask, Professor?" Haley smirked.

McGonagall smiled. "Then I suppose there's only one thing left to do." The Head of Gryffindor looked over at the other end of the table. "Severus?"

A tired-looking Snape turned at the sound of his name. "What?" he barked.

"Could you come here for a moment?" McGonagall called.

"Vile woman, you're the one calling _me_. _You_ come _here_."

McGonagall's lips tightened. She managed to calm herself, though, and got up. Motioning Haley to follow, the two walked over to where Professor Snape was sitting.

"Good morning, Professor." Haley tried.

Snape only sneered.

"Severus, news is you've found a temporary antidote for Mister Potter."

"What of it?"

"If that's the case, Potter here might be able to play in our little match-up tomorrow afternoon."

"Well if that's the case, Minerva, then no. There is no antidote."

"Severus!"

"Professor!" the two females frowned simultaneously.

"What's all the hullabaloo?"

All three turned to see the Headmaster smiling at them.

"Albus, Severus has found a temporary antidote to Potter's problem."

"I-"

"That means," she cut the Potions professor off, "Potter can play in tomorrow's Quidditch match."

"Severus, is this true?"

After a moment of silence, Snape finally nodded. "But with the limited supply of materials I have for it, Potter's return won't be for long."

Haley's hope deflated a little in these words.

"An estimate?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Considering the extensive research performed last night, I'd say I have enough for…one hour, give or take."

"That's perfect!" Haley's grin returned.

"Are you sure, Potter?" Professor McGonagall tried. "You'll be cutting it very close."

"I'm positive." The girl turned to the Headmaster. "Please, Professor. Can I? I just want one moment of normalcy back in my life. I just want to fly."

"This'll be your only chance to do it, Potter. I will not waste more supplies on a potion I know doesn't work." Snape warned.

"Of course! I can think of no other reason to change back, if only for a moment." Haley urged.

"Then there you have it," Dumbledore chimed. "You may change back for your match as long as you're aware of the consequences if you don't finish the match on time."

"Well aware." Haley nodded sternly.

"On that note, let's all enjoy our breakfast, shall we?" Dumbledore nodded before taking his seat.

"Thank you all, Professors." Haley grinned. With that, she turned around to face a fairly empty dining area. She took her seat, giddy with the idea of being able to play.

'Finally! Something good! Something normal!'

"You're awfully perky today, Haley."

The girl looked up. "Oh, hello Leir. I, um- I'm just excited is all."

"About what?"

"I… get to go, um, home for little bit this Saturday." That was her story and that's what she was going to stick with.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Leir smiled. "I'm sure you miss your family."

"Of course."

"That's enough to make anyone perky, I suppose." Leir looked over to the teacher's table before he leaned in towards Haley. "That is, anyone but Snape. He looks positively livid."

Haley looked at the Potions professor. The man looked completely exhausted and highly irritable. She worried for the person who suffers from his wrath today. But she had to laugh. Leir did make a point.

"I'll have to remember to stay out of his way," Haley noted.

"As will I." Leir smiled. "Well, enjoy your morning. I'll see you around, Haley." The boy waved.

"Bye, Leir." She smiled as he walked over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Is that true?"

Haley stirred in hearing the voice. She turned to see Pansy standing a few feet away from her. "Is what true?"

"You're leaving on Saturday?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Parkinson, but it's only for a little while."

"That _is _a disappointment," Pansy arched an eyebrow. "I wish you'd leave for good."

Haley scoffed and turned away from the girl.

However, Pansy continued on. "So does that mean that Potter boy is coming here?"

"Obviously." Haley rolled her eyes.

"It'll be interesting to see how things have changed in the Golden Boy's absence…"

Curious and confused, Haley turned back to look at Pansy. The other girl was looking at the ground, her forefinger tapping her bottom lip. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pansy snapped out of whatever reverie she was in and looked back up into emerald eyes. "Simply this." The girl swept forward and took a seat next to Haley. "Draco's different when Pottybrain's around."

"Different how?"

"Let's just say he retreats into a darker place. The Draco you see now is not the same one when Scarhead's here. It's best you leave him be."

"How do I know you're not just trying to break up our friendship?"

"Think what you want, Jones. I'm telling you now, though. You _will_ get hurt."

Haley leaned back away from the girl beside her. "Excuse me." She got up from her seat and as she walked away, she could still feel Pansy's eyes on her.

"Haley-"

The girl didn't respond for she was lost in the thoughts that haunted her. And for the second time that morning, Draco was denied the company of his friend.

---

"Harry Potter is coming back!" Colin Creevey grinned. The younger boy was wandering throughout the school with his ever-present camera, exclaiming the news to anyone who would listen.

Haley watched as the boy cheered on, snapping pictures of people's various reactions. From what she could tell, the news had spread like wildfire. And when the news hit the Slytherin table during their lunch hour, there were mixed feelings from all ends. Some people were excited that Potter's presence would make tomorrow's match more interesting. Others were upset, knowing that because Potter was a magnificent Seeker, their chances of winning the next day were pretty slim. But when the news reached a certain Head Boy, Haley couldn't read his reaction at all. In fact, for the rest of that day, Draco seemed lost in his own head. His expression was stern, his demeanor rather cold. He didn't speak a word to anyone.

Haley frowned. She had to wonder if Pansy was right. Maybe Draco really was a different person when Harry Potter was around. A darker person. And then she was suddenly reminded of a conversation she had with Ethan not too long ago. He claimed that Draco had two different sides as well. If Ethan had said it, and Pansy had seconded it, then… just what was this other "darker" side to Draco like?

Haley had to find out.

---

"Rumor has it, Harry Potter's coming back to play in tomorrow's Quidditch match," Blaise whispered to the girl next to him. They were in Divination class and their Professor was currently trying to predict tomorrow's weather conditions by wearing a hat with an obscene amount of plumage.

"Huh? Oh yeah." Haley responded half-heartedly. "Snape found a temporary antidote."

"Shouldn't you be overjoyed then?" Blaise tried again to shake his friend out of her reverie. "Even though it's temporary, you can go back to being you! Not only that, you get to play the game you claim to be so fond of!"

"What's Draco like when I'm around?"

Blaise blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Shouldn't you know? I mean, you two are-"

"I mean, as _me_." Haley tried again.

"Oh. _That_ you. Well…" The boy trailed.

"He's _dangerous_," Ethan jumped in.

"He is _not_ dangerous," the other boy defended. "You're just saying that because-"

"He _is_ dangerous and you know it."

"Come off it!"

Ethan turned back to the girl. "Harry," he said quietly. "If you do change back, stay away from Malfoy."

Haley was confused. "But why-"

"Pay no attention to his rubbish, Harry. Ethan's just acting like a fool right no-"

"A fool, am I?" The hazel-eyed boy's voice began to rise.

Blaise abruptly stood. "A fool you are! You _have_ to be a fool to do what you did to Draco!"

"Boys?" Professor Trelawny took her hat off and looked at the two arguing friends.

"You know about that?"

"Of course I know! _I'm_ not the fool!"

"You are a fool! He's _dangerous_! You, of all people, would know so!"

"He might act differently, but he's hardly _dangerous_!"

"Boys-" Trelawny tried again. By now, everyone was staring at Haley's table.

"Fine! Different! Darker!"

"Darker? Fine! But not in the way you're implying! You're just trying to keep them from-"

"BOYS!" Trelawny boomed. All eyes fell upon the disgruntled teacher. "Both of you, a night's detention for disrupting my class. Out. Now."

The two boys quickly packed their things and carried on. Even out of the room, the entire class could tell that their squabble only picked up again in the hall. Haley was left even more confused than ever. 'Can't anyone give me a clear answer?' The girl slumped in her seat, trying not to think about all that was said today, and instead focused on the array of feathers atop the Divination professor's head.

Despite herself, Haley had to smile. "Ridiculous…"

---

Haley was currently hiding out in Hermione's room. She had had enough with hearing her real name being called throughout the halls for she was growing very tempted to look, and that would only give cause for suspicion. Hermione had rationalized that Harry Potter was the school's celebrity so of course his return would only bring excitement to his fans. In hearing this, Haley merely sighed. She wished the fans would just give it a rest and realize that beyond vanquishing the Dark Lord, Harry Potter was just a normal teen trying to make it through school.

The Slytherin collapsed onto her friend's bed. "Where's Ron?"

Hermione took a seat next to the other girl. "With you coming back to play, Dean got excited and called for an emergency practice. But I also heard that that's exactly what the Slytherins were trying to do, too."

"What's the big deal? I mean, _I'm_ excited about playing, sure, but why is everyone else getting so riled up about it? They've never gotten so hyped about any other game we've had so far."

"Well… there've been rumors. Seamus actually remembered that time you flew with Ron and him. He's started a rumor that the real Harry's actually been training at a school keen on Quidditch players. He thinks that Haley is apart of that school as well., since she plays so well."

"That's ridiculous-"

"There've been other rumors as well. That perhaps you've actually been recruited by the Aurors to fight off any left over Death Eaters and you're only playing in tomorrow's match because it's your day off."

"That's even more ridiculous than the first one!" Haley cried, exasperated.

"And of course, there's the girls and the occasional boy that's just excited that you're back since you provide them a sense of eye candy."

Haley offered no reply to this. Merely a deep, red blush.

"Face it, Harry. The mere mention of your name can spark even the slightest of uproars."

"Well, I know one person who isn't so keen on my return…" the raven-haired girl sighed, dejectedly.

Hermione smirked. "Only one person can make you sigh like that. Malfoy?"

Haley sat up. "Three people said he's different when the real me is around. _Three_. It can't just be them making it up. In one form or another, they all agreed that he's 'darker.' Whatever that means."

"Darker?"

"Yes. Darker."

The Head Girl paused to think for a moment. "Have you ever talked to Malfoy about it? About you, even?"

"No. Of course not. It's weird, isn't it? Talking about yourself. How can I talk to him about me without sounding biased to anything he has to say? Plus, it's awkward hearing what people say about me. Why do you think I'm hiding out here?"

"You're so modest, Harry. You've done _amazing_ things and yet your ego is practically non-existent. Ron on the other hand… he wins one game of wizard's chess against me and he exclaims it to the world." Haley smiled as Hermione rolled her eyes at the memory. "Anyway, maybe you should take the chance to find out how he really feels about the real you. And since you're friends, I'm sure his 'darker' side will be held at bay."

"Well, I've tried talking to him today. He's really been out of it after hearing of my return."

Hermione could only shrug. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

Haley lay back down on the bed. "Sure… _Dark_ ones…"

---

When Haley entered the Slytherin common room, she immediately caught sight of Draco. He was currently with Blaise, who was seemingly doing all the talking. Whatever the pair might be talking about, it seemed serious. Blaise was the type who normally donned a light smile, but now there were no traces of the friendly smirk.

Haley frowned. 'Maybe I shouldn't bother them…'

However, the decision was made for her when a light tap came on her shoulder.

"Hello, Ethan."

"Hello." The boy rubbed the back of his neck. He looked to where Blaise was with Draco back to the girl. "You're still my friend, aren't you?"

"You and Blaise aren't friends?" Haley gaped.

"Well, maybe no so far as that, but I do know he's hardly in my favor." The dark-haired boy slumped into a nearby seat.

"Cheer up." Haley took a seat across from him. "I'm sure things will calm down and before you know it, Blaise and you will act as if nothing had happened."

"He has a point though. I _am_ a fool."

"You are no-"

"But I am. I knew, probably from the very beginning, that I could never have you. This was only made more apparent when I figured out who you really are. And yet, I still hoped…"

"Ethan…" She didn't know what to say. What _could_ she say?

"Well, enough of this humdrum. I think we've been spotted."

Haley followed Ethan's gaze. Draco was staring directly at the other boy, a feral look in his eyes. Blaise, on the other hand, was just shaking his head.

"I think this is where I take my leave," Ethan stood. "Detention with Madame Hooch. I think it'll be a night full of shoveling. Tomorrow's the big game after all." He smirked. "I hope you have fun 'back home', Miss Jones."

Haley smiled. "I'm sure I will. See you later, Ethan."

The boy just nodded and headed out of the room.

The girl debated whether or not she should go over to where Draco and Blaise were. Blaise would be leaving soon and she really didn't want to deal with a foul Draco. 'What's his problem with me? Sure we've had a number of quarrels in the past, with the occasional hexing and jinxing, but… does he really despise me _that_ much?'

She thought back on her short time as Haley. She thought about all the fun she had with Draco; all the jokes that they shared and the words of friendship that were exchanged. 'If he truly despises me, then… this is the only time I have with him.' She thought she wanted to know what Draco was like when Harry Potter was around and she got a taste of it. But thinking back on everything that has happened, Haley realized that she wasn't _ready_ to find out. She wasn't ready to give up what little friendship she had with him. She knew that the topic of Harry Potter would only upset him and she didn't want to spend the rest of her time annoyed with the boy.

Haley slumped back into her seat and scoffed. 'And this was supposed to be a good day, too…'

---

Late that night, a light knock came upon her door, but the girl was already resting up for the next day. When there was no response, Draco sighed. "Good night, Harry."

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Tra la la. I have nothing to say about this chapter. Haha.

But yay! More than half of you responded with my monkey request! I especially liked how the flying monkey DarkRubberNeck slipped in so many flying monkeys so subtly. I almost didn't notice them at all. Hehe. Flying monkey. And I really do want to respond to all of your questions about where the heck this is going or why this was done and so on and so forth, but I fear that I might let too much slip. And I really don't think you want the story to be spoiled, do you? But I love all the speculation. It makes me happy. That and evil snowboards. Wait, what?


	18. The Quidditch Match

**ATTENTION ATTENTION!! **DRACO WASN'T MEANT TO SAY HARRY THAT LAST CHAPTER. IT WAS A **TYPO!**

...Just kidding. Carry on.

The Exchange – The Quidditch Match

* * *

"Here you go, Potter. Keep a close eye on your watch. I will not be held accountable if you change back in public," Snape handed over the vial of left over antidote.

"Wow, Professor. You actually sound a little concerned." A sly smile crept on Haley's face. "You're not growing fond of me are you?"

"Trust me. The Dark Lord would have to rise from the dead and put me under the Imperius Curse for me to _ever_ be fond of _you_, Potter."

Haley shrugged. "You say this now, but I think you're just in denial, my dear Professor Snape."

The girl watched in amusement as Snape's lip curled in disgust. "Out. Now." He pointed at the door.

Haley walked over to the door and opened it. Before closing it, she popped her head back in. "I'll see you at the match, then?"

"OUT!"

Haley had to laugh. It felt so good to bother the professor when she knew she was in the safety of his house. 'It's good I didn't drink the potion right there. Then he'd be able to take points away from Gryffindor.' Another chuckle emerged from her lips as she walked into the Slytherin common room.

That morning she had spent most of her time in her room, planning out the day's events. Despite her somber mood the previous day, she couldn't help but feel excited about the upcoming game. Quidditch always made her happy.

But she had to make people believe that as Harry Potter was returning, Haley Jones was leaving. That was a little tricky. Normally, she would've just pulled out her invisibility cloak and headed on over to the changing rooms. But it would seem like Haley just disappeared into thin air and that's not what the girl wanted. She decided it would be best to pretend that she was leaving through Dumbledore's office via floo network. Once there, _then _she would use her invisibility cloak to hurry down to the changing rooms where she would finally take the potion. Obviously, she _really_ had time to think it through. She let the Headmaster know her plan during their lunch period and he cheerfully agreed. Things were going smoothly, just as she had hoped.

As Haley was about to leave to go to the Headmaster's office with her cloak bundled in what looked to be a present, someone caught her wrist.

"Haley, wait."

The girl turned. "Oh. Hi, Draco. Shouldn't you be heading down to the changing rooms now? Your match will be starting soon."

"I know. I just…" The blonde rubbed the back of his neck. "Just come back to me, okay?"

Haley looked confused and a little flustered. "What?"

"What I mean is don't have too much fun back home, all right? Be sure to come back. Remember, I still owe you a dinner."

"Oh. That's right… from when I kicked your butt in flying… You're really going to need all the luck you can get today, Draco. You really suck."

"Ha. Ha." He replied, dryly. "Leave already, then."

"But just a second ago, it sounded like you wanted me to stay. Oh, Drakie-wakie, how you tease me so!" Haley mocked the other boy.

"Stay then. Watch me fly."

"Why? I've already seen you. You're horrible."

"Seriously."

"Seriously? I can't..." 'For obvious reasons…' she added to herself. Haley bit her bottom lip. "I miss my other life. I'm happy for the chance to go back, even for a moment."

At this, Draco frowned. "I see."

"Not that I don't enjoy my life here, of course." Haley quickly added.

"No, you're right. You do have a life different from this. I'm happy that you get your chance to go back to it. I'm sure you're very happy as you are. Just don't forget this life. Please."

"You sound like I'm leaving for good! It's just an hour or so, Draco. I'll be back before you know it."

Draco merely nodded. "What's that?" He motioned towards the package in her hands.

"It's… a gift. I thought it would be nice to bring it back with me."

"How nice of you. Will you bring a gift back to _me_ upon your return?"

Haley scoffed. "You're a rich boy that has everything. What more do you need?"

"I may have _many _things, but I hardly have _every_thing."

"Blah, blah. Fine. I'll think of something." This effectively lit up Draco's face, causing the girl to smile in return. "I will say this, though. I'm glad you're in a better mood today," she tested. Maybe he'll tell her what was bothering him.

"Ah yesterday…" Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "I was just upset over something…"

Haley frowned. This wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for. But before she could delve further into the inner workings of Draco's mind, Crabbe and Goyle came up to them.

"Hi, Haley." Both boys greeted.

"Hi Crabbe. Hi Goyle." She smiled. She found that the two boys were pretty tolerable when they weren't being obnoxious lackeys.

"C'mon Draco. It's time we go." Goyle said.

"All right. I'll see you later then?" The Head Boy looked at the girl.

"You can count on it." She smiled. "Good luck, you three!" When she knew that they were out of earshot, she smirked. "You're going to need it…"

Haley looked at her watch. 'Best be going then… the match starts in twenty minutes and I still need to make it out onto the pitch…'

The girl stepped out of the common room and hurried to Dumbledore's office. With the utterance of "caramel delight," the eagle sprang to life giving the girl access to the door at the top of the steps.

"Ah, Mr. Potter." The Headmaster smiled as the girl entered the room. "Your cloak, I presume?"

"Yes, sir." Haley pulled out here invisibility cloak and threw it over her shoulders. "I'll see you down at the pitch, then?"

"Of course. Make the game an interesting one, will you?"

She smiled. "I'll do my best, Professor." And with that, she threw the cloak over her head and was once again scurrying down the halls of the school. She raced out to the Gryffindor changing rooms and was grateful that they were nearly empty. The only ones left were Dean and Ron

Haley came up behind the redhead. "Ron!" She whispered.

The boy in question jumped in surprise, emitting a little yelp. Dean looked over at him with a questioning look.

"Uh, erm… spider. I thought I saw a spider," Ron lied.

Dean just shook his head and continued to put on his gear.

"Harry?" Ron whispered into the air around him, not really knowing where to look.

"I'm here. Ron, I need you to distract Dean while I change."

"Wait. Are you still in a skirt? Cause if you change back now, I've got to see this."

"Bugger off, I'm wearing jeans."

Ron shrugged. "Well I'm just saying…"

"Just go!"

The redhead laughed but did as he was told. He walked over to Dean and began a conversation about their strategy for the game. The two disappeared out of the room.

When she thought the coast was clear, Haley removed her cloak and began to change into her uniform. She wasn't wearing her boy clothes so she was afraid that if she drank the potion now, something might rip. Or maybe Ron would catch sight and find a reason to mock her. No, no. Haley did not want to risk that. So when she was finally dressed, she pulled the vial out of her jeans pocket. With one last glance at her watch, she exhaled. "Here goes."

Haley downed the potion in one gulp. She waited. Nothing. "Oh come on…" She tapped her foot impatiently. And then a familiar rumbling came from within. Haley doubled over, clutching her stomach. She felt herself filling out the clothes she wore as her hair dramatically receded. Within seconds, the transformation was complete.

"Ugh… that will never be comfortable…" In hearing his voice return to its normal octave, excitement filled him as Harry quickly picked himself up and hurried to the nearest mirror. There, stood a boy. Tall and lean, Harry Potter was back.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. It was very different than the long locks he had grown used to. But nevertheless, a grin spread across his face. "I'M BACK! I'M FINALLY BACK!" He cheered.

Quickly, Harry shut his locker and hurried outside to where his team was waiting.

"Harry!" The voice was undoubtedly Ron's.

In hearing the name, the entire team looked to the locker room door before breaking out into cheers.

"Welcome back, Harry!"

"It's good to see you, Harry!"

"Let's kick some Slytherin arse, Harry!"

It was a whirlwind of handshakes, hugs, and high-fives. Harry was definitely glad to be back.

"Speech!" Seamus called out. The rest of the team applauded this idea.

Always the people-pleaser, Harry obliged. "Hello, everyone. It's great to be back. I've missed all of you. I'd also like to thank Dean for keeping you all on your toes while I was away." Harry nodded in Dean's direction who smiled at the thanks. "Just to warn you, though, I haven't got much time here so let's win big and fast."

"Why? Where are you going?" Asked Susan, a fifth-year Beater.

"I've got to head back to the other school. They've agreed to let me play as long as I make it back in time."

"Kind of like that Cinderella, eh?" Ron elbowed his friend in the ribs.

"Only if you're my _fairy_ godmother, Ron."

"Hey!"

Harry turned his attention back on to the team. "All right, everyone. Make my return worthwhile! Let's get out there and give those Slytherins a run for their money! And let's give me something good to go back with!"

"All right! Let's do this!" Seamus cheered, throwing his fist in the air.

The rest of the team, pumped with adrenaline, cheered as well before running out onto the pitch.

Upon exiting, Harry was met with a boom of ovation from the crowds overhead, with the occasional hissing courtesy the Slytherins. It seemed that nearly everyone was excited to see the return of the Golden Boy. The stands were filled with students and teachers alike, most donning the colors of the team they wish to succeed. Jogging out to the center of the pitch with his team, Harry took a second to look around to smile and wave at all who cheered him on.

"Potter."

Harry turned in hearing the scornful tone that called his name. Out of habit, his voice mirrored the other's. "Malfoy." It was strange looking at the blonde. Grey eyes that once shined with warmth only reflected the cold around them. It made Harry shudder within.

The two Seekers stood face-to-face. It was in that moment that Harry realized something. Something that, despite how glad he was to be back, made him ache a little inside. He missed him. Harry missed Draco. They hadn't been apart more than twenty minutes, but in seeing how disconnected he, as Harry, was to the Slytherin boy, it hurt. And it made Harry miss Draco all the more.

The sound of a whistle snapped the Gryffindor out of his thoughts. He looked to Madame Hooch. "Captains, shake hands." Harry shook the hand of the sixth-year Keeper. "Positions, please." The Chasers of each team stood in the center with Madame Hooch as the other players scurried off toward their positions. Harry watched carefully as Madame Hooch released the Golden Snitch. In an instant, the tiny ball flitted off above their heads. Next, the referee released the Bludgers. They zoomed up into the air, waiting for their chances to attack. Harry mounted his broom, preparing for lift-off. And then, with the final blow of the whistle, the Quaffle was released commencing the match.

Harry soared into the air, as did the other players. Around him, he could still hear the roar of the crowd. And as everyone else stopped at a certain height, Harry still soared to get the best look at the pitch below.

"And a great save from Gryffindor Keeper, Ron Weasley. His hair reminds me of flames dancing across an ashen log…"

Harry smiled at the commentary. He looked down at the commentator's box and sure enough, there was Luna Lovegood, complete with her massive lion hat. He could also see Professor McGonagall lecturing Luna to keep the commentary game-related. The Ravenclaw didn't seem to care.

"Now Michaels of Slytherin carries the Quaffle. He's known for having quite a beautiful nose. I hope he doesn't break it against a Bludger today."

Harry laughed, but soon concentrated on the task at hand. Fifteen minutes had already passed since he drank the antidote. He needed this to end quickly.

An uproar of cheers came to Harry's attention.

"Ten points to Slytherin for an excellent shot by O'Malley. O'Malley rhymes with dillydally. Don't dillydally, O'Malley. You've got a game to play."

A glint of light caught Harry's eye, but it was only a Bludger whizzing by. "Come on, come on… where are you?"

"Another ten points to Slytherin! A nice shot by Kaur. There really should be more girls out there like her. Professor McGonagall, wouldn't you agree?"

Harry quickly maneuvered to the side, effectively dodging a Bludger sent to him by Crabbe.

"That was a close one. Hello, Harry! How are you?"

Harry just waved at the girl and continued his search for the Snitch.

"Oh! And a direct hit to Malfoy courtesy Gryffindor's Burwell."

Harry's heart jumped in hearing the commentary. He looked over to where Draco was to see the boy rubbing his shoulder. Other than that, he merely looked annoyed. Harry briefly wondered if the boy was all right, before the commentary caught his attention once more.

"Ten points to Gryffindor! Good job, Finnegan! He's got a lovely accent. I'd be surprised if no one's heard it though. He's always talking."

And there! Over by the Slytherin's goal posts flitted the tiny Golden Snitch. Harry made a dive for the ball.

"Looks like Potter's spotted the Snitch! Look how fast he's flying! I hope he doesn't fall off his broom."

Harry chased the Snitch, but before he could make a grab for it, it zoomed up into the sky and out of Harry's sight. "Damn!" He glanced at his watch. He had forty minutes left.

"Ooo. Next time, Harry!"

"Oof!" The Gryffindor Seeker lurched forward, tumbling off his broom so that he held on by the tips of his fingers. The Bludger that had hit his back swung back around for another attack, but with the agility and reflexes of an acrobat, Harry settled himself back onto his broom and sped off into the sky.

"And with a strike from Goyle, a Bludger nearly knocks off Gryffindor's Seeker! That's not very nice! Susan, get him back!"

Harry stretched, rubbing his back where the Bludger struck.

"Thank you Susan!"

Harry looked at Goyle who was massaging the left side of his head and stopped himself from laughing out loud.

"Kaur has the Quaffle. She's zooming past Thomas, Finnegan, and Riley. She shoots! Ten points to Slytherin for another excellent shot by Kaur. Beep beep goes the Kaur!"

This time, Harry _had _to burst out and laugh. It was a wonder why Professor McGonagall continued to allow Luna to do commentary. But Luna made the game more interesting in her own little ways. Returning his concentration on the match, Harry scanned the area.

"Look at those trees… aren't they excellent this time of year?"

There! Flitting along the edges of the pitch was the Snitch, and again Harry flew into a dive. This time, Draco dove for it as well, sending the pair of Seekers into a race against one another.

For a split second, Harry glanced over at Draco. Determination exuded off the boy. He was a flurry of green and silver and he sped side-by-side red and gold. And briefly, Harry thought of the last time they were in the air during their time of the bet. He remembered how Draco was first to spot the Snitch and how close he was to reaching it if it hadn't been for Harry's last burst of speed. How many times in their Quidditch careers had that exact occurrence happened? Draco was always mere _millimeters _away from victory. And Harry knew that when it comes down to the wire, the same would happen again, perhaps for the last time as this just might be the last game he would ever play against the Slytherin team. In that instant, flying side-by-side with Draco, with his arm stretching out to grab the tiny golden ball, Harry contemplated something he never would have thought before. Let. Draco. Win.

And as if he were hit by some invisible source, Harry came to an abrupt stop, leaving Draco racing along by himself. 'Grab it, Draco! Come on!'

However, Draco simply looked over his shoulder before stopping abruptly as well. Harry sat on his broom in utter disbelief. He didn't even notice the other Seeker fly over to him.

"What the hell, Potter?" Draco growled.

Harry shook himself out of his stunned state. "You stopped."

"_You_ stopped."

"But you…"

Draco simply rolled his eyes before flying upward. He looked down on the other boy. "Let me make one thing clear, Potter! If I'm going to beat you, I'm going to _beat_ you!"

Still, Harry remained somewhat stunned, trying to figure out what just happened.

"That was odd. Both Seekers froze mid-flight. Maybe the Krizzlesacks are back!"

The Gryffindor snapped back from his thoughts. A grin began to spread across his lips. "Oh, it's so on." Once again, Harry soared up into the air until he had a good view of the pitch below. He took another glance at his watch. Twenty-five minutes to go.

"Oh! And another nice save from Weasley! See Ginny? He's not a complete klutz…"

Again, Harry just had to laugh. Suddenly, Draco went into another dive. Harry immediately followed, spotting the Snitch by the Gryffindor goal posts. Harry urged his broom to go faster. After a few short moments, they were neck-in-neck once more, both outstretched to grab the Snitch. Then the thought that had stopped him earlier re-entered his mind. Let Draco win. The joy that would light up Draco's face is all Harry wanted to see. He wanted to see those eyes light up again. He wanted to see that smile grace the other boy's face once more. It was simple. All he had to do was let. Draco. Win.

…

Yeah right.

With a sudden burst of speed, Harry lurched forward, wrapping his fingers around the Snitch, thus bringing an end to the match.

"With a score of 160 to 30, the Gryffindors win! Congratulations Gryffindors! Well played, Slytherins! Can I go now?"

Harry hopped off his broom onto the pitch. The crowd was cheering once more, with the exception of the Slytherins who were, of course, booing. Harry didn't care. He won. He glanced once more at his watch. 'Damn! Fifteen minutes!'

He handed the Snitch to Madame Hooch before running off into the changing rooms. He swiped his clothes out of his locker.

"That was brilliant!" Seamus grinned, strolling in with the other boys of the team.

"Another victory for Gryffindor!" Dean cheered. "Brilliant work, Harry!"

"Everyone was great," Harry smiled.

"Yeah, but what happened to you and Malfoy in the middle of that, eh?" Ron scratched his head. "It's like someone cast a spell on _both_ of you."

"Er… nothing. It was nothing." Harry bit his lip.

"Who cares?" Seamus shrugged. "We won! Party in Gryffindor Tower!"

"Sorry, I can't join you guys." Harry frowned.

"What?! But you'll be our guest of honor! Did you not hear that crowd? Everyone was excited to see you!" Seamus's smile faded.

"Sorry. I told you, I have to get back."

"Are you really going to school in America?" Dean stepped forward. "What's it like? You're on the west coast, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah. It's nice there. The people are friendly." Harry lied.

"Where exactly is the school though? Is it by the beach or is it in the mountains? Do they play Quidditch there as well? What are your professors like? What's the Headmaster's name?"

"Enough with the third degree, Dean!" Ron cut in. "Blimey. I'm sure Harry will tell us all about it when he's back for good. But for now, if Harry has to go, let him go. We can party enough _for_ him," the redhead winked.

Harry mentally thanked Ron. It was no wonder why he was his best friend. "Right. Well, I'm sorry I can't stay longer. Congratulations again. I'll see you when this is all over." The raven-haired boy hurried over to the door, his uniform still on, his cloak and girl clothes bundled together under his arm.

"Wait! When _will_ it all be over?" Dean called.

Harry didn't stay to answer and instead pretended to not hear. 'Was Dean always so curious?' Harry just shrugged it off as he rushed down the corridors towards Dumbledore's office.

While running past, various students who had made their way back into the school congratulated and greeted Harry. The boy felt bad that he couldn't properly greet everyone, but it was better than having them see him change into a girl.

'Seven minutes…' This was his mantra as he hurried towards the Headmaster's office. Then a voice caught his attention.

"Potter!"

Harry wanted to stop but couldn't risk being seen.

"_Potter!_"

Harry glanced at his watch. Six minutes. He slowed down and looked over his shoulder. He was a little surprised to see that it was Draco who was following him. The other boy was still in his uniform as well, with the exception of his robe. He slowed down, coming to a halt by Harry's side.

"What is it, Draco? I'm in a rush." Draco's eyebrow arched in hearing his given name escape the lips of the other boy. Harry didn't even realize it at first as he had said it out of habit.

"I, um… How's your back?"

Harry was stupefied, but answered anyway. "A little sore. It'll definitely bruise but that's not much of a problem. Um… How's your shoulder?"

"Oh. It's all right. It hurts if I move it like this," he demonstrated. "But, I'll live."

"That's good…good."

This was really awkward. The two were standing in awkward silence, not even looking at each other.

"Oh, enough of this," Draco rolled his eyes. "Why did you try to let me win earlier?"

"Ummm… cause I didn't think you'd realize that that was what I was doing?"

"You're an idiot."

"_You're_ the idiot. You could've won! You were millimeters away from victory and you pulled away from it."

"What makes you think I want to win that way? When I beat you, it will be because I'm better than you, not because you pity me." Draco crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't pity you."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted you to smile…" The words rushed out of Harry's mouth before he could stop them.

The surprise on Draco's face quickly turned to amusement.

Then, a beeping rang from Harry's watch. "Shit! I've got to go." He turned around to hurry off towards Dumbledore's office.

"Potter, wait!" Draco called.

Despite himself, Harry paused again and looked at Draco.

"You better not try a stunt like that when I see you in the finals for the cup. I _will_ make it there, believe you me."

Harry smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

And then, much to the Gryffindor's surprise, Draco smiled. Not his usual smirk of evil pleasure, but an actual smile. And he was smiling at Harry. _Harry_ made Draco smile. It warmed his insides more than winning the match ever could. He wanted to stay. He wanted to talk to Draco as himself. But he had to go. And with that thought in his head, Harry took off once more for Dumbledore's office.

Harry yelled out the password, leapt three steps at a time and threw open the door to the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, good of you to join me." Dumbledore nodded in greeting.

When the familiar rumbling came back to his stomach, Harry held a hand up to the Headmaster. "Hold that thought, sir." Again, Harry clutched his sides and fell to his knees. He felt the same pulling sensation on his chest as he did before, and watched as his hair dramatically grew. When it was all over, Haley sighed. She was back. She didn't move off the floor though. As if frozen, Haley just stayed where she was, kneeling before Dumbledore's desk, a blank stare strewn across her face.

"Mr. Potter?"

Haley looked up. "I guess I was kind of hoping I'd stay. Stupid of me, really…"

"Mr. Potter, don't be so glum. If you recall, your antidote is well on its way. I'd estimate about two more weeks and you'll be back to being a boy once more."

Haley forced a smile. "Good." Finally, the girl got up off the floor. "Professor, is there somewhere I can change? I didn't really have time…"

"Of course. You can use my private lavatory. Just go through that door, there." He pointed the way.

She nodded, taking her clothes with her. When Haley closed the door behind her, she looked up and saw her reflection. There was no mistaking it. She was a girl again. Haley collapsed onto the toilet seat and covered her face in her hands. She didn't know why, but she just felt like crying. She wanted this to stop. She wanted to stop lying to her friends, to everyone, to Draco. Most of all Draco.

'But if I hadn't changed into a girl, I never would have gotten so close to him in the first place…but maybe…' Haley exhaled and tried to shake off all her emotions. She began to change back into her casual wear, numbing herself from her thoughts. When finished, she stepped back outside and collapsed into a chair in front of the Headmaster. She stared off to the side. "If you don't mind Professor, may I stay here, just for a while?"

Professor Dumbledore offered the girl a small, understanding smile. "Of course you can."

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

As I didn't read the fifth book before I started this story, there were no traces of Luna. But upon reading said book, I fell in adoration of the quirky witch. So there you have it, Luna Lovegood makes her debut. She'll probably be back cause she's probably my favorite after Draco and Harry.

I didn't realize how sad Harry might be after changing back after all that had happened. But after writing all that did happen, I was sad for him. And that's why he's sad. Get it? Overall, I just think Harry would miss his life, despite liking his other life.

This chapter was going to be longer… but the next bit would have made this _really_ long. And I wanted to give you something before I head off to work. Yes. Lucky you. KEEP REVIEWING!! YAY REVIEWS!!


	19. Fights and Revelations

The Exchange – Fights and Revelations

* * *

A while turned out to be much longer than Haley anticipated. She stayed in the Headmaster's office for hours, all the while, Professor Dumbledore didn't once bother her. He quietly did his work, coming in and out of his office while Haley just sat there, staring at nothing in particular as her mind was cluttered by ideas that were, that are, that have been and never been, that might be and might never be.

It was good that she was Haley. If she never were, she'd never know the Slytherins the way she does now. She probably would have gone the rest of her life never giving the Slytherins a second thought. But because she changed, she was able to see things differently. She was able to see _people_ differently. She just wished that she could've had that opportunity without having to change who she was.

Haley sighed. Finally, at nearly six in the evening, she picked herself up and left the office.

Feeling rather deflated, and having exhausted most of her energy running through the school, Haley went directly to the kitchens. She greeted Dobby and asked him kindly if he could return her uniform to the changing rooms as soon as he had the chance. Dobby eagerly agreed. Haley accepted the sandwich offered to her by one of the other house-elves, as well as a goblet of pumpkin juice. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she took that first bite, but it was only understandable as she did skip supper. Upon taking a bite of a rather delectable chocolate cake, Haley paused. "…Perfect…"

An idea struck her. She asked Dobby if he could return her cloak to her room which he eagerly agreed to as well. She stayed with the elves for an extra hour or so. When finished with her "project," she thanked all the house-elves for their help and finally left the kitchens with a small box in her hands.

"I hear he had to leave so soon afterwards because the sleeping potion he put on a Death Eater was about to ease up."

"No way!"

"Think about it! He _is_ Harry Potter! Who better to deal with them than him?"

Haley listened to the hallway rumor as two Hufflepuffs wandered by. She shook her head in disbelief, wondering how these crazy tales began anyway. If they only knew how unglamorous her life _truly_ was.

She made her way through the school, heading to the dungeons. Upon entering the Slytherin common room, Haley was almost immediately led right back out with Blaise on one arm and Ethan on the other.

"Are you mad?" Blaise looked at her as if she were crazy.

"What? What's going on?" Haley was confused.

The blonde boy looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I don't think this is the best place for you right now, considering the outcome of today's match, which, by the way, I thought you were excellent in."

Ethan merely nodded in agreement.

"But why? It's not like they know it's me…"

"Which makes it easier for them to talk about you. Say things about you. Nasty things. But don't take offense, love. They're just bitter that they lost. They'll be well over it by tomorrow morning." Blaise finished with a shrug.

"Okay… I guess." She looked from Blaise to Ethan and Ethan to Blaise again. "Wait. You two are friends again?"

Blaise scoffed. "As if we never were! Ethan's an idiot, of course, but that's never stopped our friendship before."

"Hey!" Ethan frowned.

"It's true!"

"_Any_way, we talked it all out during our detention. Which would have been a lot more fun if that badger wasn't there."

"Badger?"

"Some boy named Valex." Blaise looked bored.

"Leir? He was in detention again?"

"You mean he was there before?" Ethan cocked an eyebrow.

Haley nodded. "He was with me during my detention with Professor Sprout."

The brunette frowned. "Did he do anything to you?"

"Of course not. Leir's not like that."

"Well, I don't know." Blaise jumped in. "He was in detention for breaking into a sealed corridor. He was lucky though. He was only given detention for the night, claiming that since he's new he didn't know. Load of bull, if you ask me."

"I'm sure it was just a mistake." Haley waved it off.

"I'm telling you, he's a tricky one." Ethan said, his voice low and warning. "I knew it the moment he had his grubby hands all over you."

The girl frowned. "I told you before, that was nothing. I tripped, he caught me. That's all. And before you go accusing _him_ of anything, tell me, Ethan. What exactly _did_ you do to Draco?"

Ethan pursed his lips. "We're past that."

"Of course you are." Haley rolled her eyes. "You know what? Thank you for warning me about what's going on in there." She motioned towards the common room. "You're right. I'm really _not_ in the mood to listen to nasty little lies. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Wait, Harry-" Blaise tried.

"Good night, Blaise. Ethan." And with that, she walked off.

Blaise looked to Ethan. "You really _are_ and idiot, aren't you?"

Ethan frowned. "Piss off."

Haley didn't really know where she was going. She looked at the parcel in her hands. 'Well… there goes _that_ idea…but I shouldn't let it go to waste… I worked hard on it…'

"I don't think Potter's even human! He's got to be some sort of machine! Did you see the way he swung back up on his broom the way he did? It's unreal!"

"Perhaps he's half pony! I mean, he _does_ prance around like one!"

The group of Slytherins laughed as they made their way past Haley towards the common room. She merely gaped at their comments. 'What's the deal? I _don't_ prance! Why does everyone keep saying that?'

She decided to take her friends' advice and stayed away from the common room and other similar comments which she was sure were being tossed around in there. With her parcel still in her hands, she tried thinking of a place where she could just sit back and relax and not have to listen to the bitter backlash. And that's when she thought of the Meteorology balcony. She had been there once before with Draco, and hopefully, it was a good spot for her to hide out until things settled down in the common room.

Trying to recall where the room was located, Haley wandered through various halls and staircases until finally she reached the familiar door to the balcony. She reached for the door and stepped through.

"Oh." She froze.

Draco looked over at the girl.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think-"

"It's all right, Jones." Draco said calmly.

"I'll just g-"

"You don't have to. I mean, if you don't mind that _I'm_ here, then I don't mind that _you're_ here."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Of course I'm sure."

Haley walked over to him, although she didn't sit right away. "Here." She handed the small box to him. "I made this for you. I had help of course, but I did most of it."

Draco opened the parcel and immediately laughed. Inside was a small, chocolate cake with the word "LOSER" spelled out in rotating green and silver. "You're _too_ kind, Jones."

"What can I say? I'm a giver." She smiled. "I wasn't actually sure if I'd be giving it to you tonight."

"Why? You thought we might win, therefore making your little comment irrelevant?"

"What? Of course not. I just thought I might not see you is all."

The boy scoffed. "You're so cruel to me." Draco feigned distress. "Here I am, somber from having lost a match, and there you are taunting me."

Haley rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "All right, all right. I apologize."

"Much better." The boy dipped his finger into the frosting and tasted it. "Hm. Not bad."

"Were you expecting any less?"

"Coming from you? Y-"

"Just shut up and enjoy the cake." Haley blew a raspberry at the boy, before finally sitting down. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Draco's torso and gave him a hug, burying her face in his chest. She heard him give a light laugh before she felt his arms wrap around her as well. Draco rested his head on hers.

"What's this for then?" He asked.

Haley shrugged. "I missed you."

"Hm. Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Even though I knew you were right here, it felt as if you were worlds away…"

Draco was quiet for a moment, but Haley still clung to him. "…In that case," he started, tightening his grip around the girl in his arms. "…I missed you too."

Haley simply smiled. Despite the cold, she felt warmer than ever.

"So what brings you out here, anyway?" Draco asked. He loosened his grip on the girl, tore off a piece of the cake and popped it into his mouth.

"A lot happened today. I guess I just didn't want to surround myself in the noise of the common room."

"Ah. They're still upset about the loss?"

Haley shrugged. "I assume so."

"You know, I could've won it today. I was pretty close to winning it."

"So what happened?"

"Potter… he…" Draco just shook his head. "I just don't get him sometimes."

Haley bit her lip. "What's to get?"

"According to the rest of this school, we're supposed to be enemies. And then he pulls a stunt like that…he was going to _let_ me win."

"Would that have been so bad?"

Draco scoffed. "When it comes to him, yes. With him, I have to prove myself. I have to prove my worth. I can't let him hand me a victory. I have to earn it. To let him know I have worth."

Haley released the boy so that she could look him in the eye. "You're hardly worthless, Draco. I don't think _any_one, least of all Harry Potter, thinks so."

A small smile graced the Head Boy's lips. "Thank you."

"What's the big deal, anyway? Harry Potter's just another person trying to get through life."

"Harry Potter is the savior of the wizarding world. He's a symbol, an _icon_ even, of bravery and skill. When compared to that, you can't blame me for wanting to prove myself."

This time, Haley was quiet. She was looking down at her lap. "…But at the end of the day, he's just a boy… a boy that's been through the _craziest_ life anyone might think of, but a boy nonetheless. The icon… that's what people made of him, but that's certainly not who he is."

The two sat there for a moment, letting her words sink in. Still, Haley looked at her lap. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her as Draco pulled her into another embrace.

It was Haley's turn to lightly laugh, returning the hug. "What's this for then?"

"…You look like you needed it."

"Well, thank you."

"So tell me," he pulled away again and tore off another piece of cake. "What was it like going back? Did you realize how pathetic your life is without me?"

Haley had to scoff at his arrogance. However, he was pretty close to the bull's-eye. "Actually, I had a blast today. Despite the shortness of my visit, it felt really good to be back. To be honest, I was sort of sad to have to leave it so soon."

At this, Draco's mood visibly darkened but the girl didn't notice. She was staring off into the night sky.

"But I'm happy to be back here for other reasons," she continued. "I know that if I never came here, things would be very different." She looked up at the boy. "If I never came here, I would never have gotten to know you the way I do now. And that's a good thing."

Draco frowned. "So… what happens when you go back?"

Haley also frowned. "…I don't know." She looked back out into the night sky. "It's complicated."

"You know… It doesn't have to be…"

Just then, snow began to fall. It melted against Haley's skin and she shivered from the cold. "Come on." She stood. "We should go in before we freeze to death. And I'm not leaving you this time. Last time, you caught a cold and you're mopey when you're sick and I don't want to have to deal with that again."

"Mopey?" Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Is that even a word?"

"It is now. So come on." She held a hand out to the boy, which he readily accepted.

As Haley was about to walk towards the exit, Draco stopped her. "Why don't we stay in there then? Just for a bit? I'm sure it's warmer in there and it's not as noisy as the common room."

Haley followed his gaze. "The classroom? Won't we get in trouble if someone finds us there?"

"Hello? I _am _Head Boy. I like to take advantage of my authority."

The girl scoffed. "I don't doubt that for a second."

Draco just rolled his eyes. "Come on, then."

The two walked over to the classroom. Draco pulled out his wand. "_Alohomora_." The door unlocked and the pair walked into the dark room. And as if he'd done it a thousands times before, Draco aimed his wand at one portion of the wall Haley couldn't quite make out. "_Incendio._" A flame was immediately set into what Haley could now clearly see was a fireplace, and the room lit up with light and filled up with warmth.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Haley said, looking around the room.

"Course I have," Draco shrugged, collapsing into a desk by the fire. He placed his cake on the desktop and pulled off another piece. "Sometimes you just need a place to get away."

Haley nodded in agreement while she strolled around the room. "So tell me, Draco." Haley grinned. "How many _girls_ have you brought here to woo?"

"Is that what you think of me? A womanizer?"

"Well you've certainly got Pansy wrapped around your finger."

"Parkinson's obsession with me starts and ends with her. The only reason why she's so attached to me in the first place is because I'm the only one that talks to her. And _I_ only do it out of obligation to my father."

"What does your father have to do with it?" The girl paused at the far end of the room. She turned to look at her friend.

Draco crossed his arms, leaned forward, and rested upon the desktop. "Bloodlines. He thought she would've been a great candidate to continue the Malfoy bloodline."

"He wanted you to marry her?"

"I do believe those were his intentions, yes. But… that's in the past…"

Haley walked over to the boy and sat down at a desk across from him. She knew that Lord Voldemort had turned on the elder Malfoy. She wanted to know more, but she wasn't sure if Draco would be open about it. "How did…" She tested.

"How did he die?" He finished for her. "Voldemort killed him. He took my father's wand and used it against him. He considered him 'expendable.'" Draco sneered. "Voldemort wanted to recruit me to his forces, but my father wouldn't have it. But no one says 'no' to the Dark Lord. He died wanting to keep me out of harm's way. Despite how cold he could be or how cruel and demanding, I do know for a fact that my father loved me. Anyone that finds him 'expendable' is worth getting rid of in my book."

Sympathy overflowed Haley's heart. She had met the elder Malfoy in a number of occasions and always thought him to be callous. But in hearing Draco speak of him, it made Lucius Malfoy seem more human. She looked down at her hands atop the desk. "I'm sorry."

Draco shrugged. "Like I said, it's in the past. And I've still got my mother so it's not like things are _so_ terrible."

"How is she?"

"Compared to before? She's better. Of course she was upset when my father passed, but at the time she was more concerned about keeping me away from the Dark Lord. Ever since then, she's been working with the Ministry identifying and destroying various Dark Artifacts. I guess it's her way of redeeming my father's death. That's why I'll be staying here for the holidays. My mother was sent to Egypt and won't be back until the New Year." Draco popped another piece of cake into his mouth. "Enough about me. What's _your _family like?"

Haley frowned. "They're awful..." she started without really thinking. Once she caught herself, she decided it wouldn't hurt to carry on. "My parents died when I was young so I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle and their excuse for a son. They're not very keen on me. They think my cousin is a perfect angel while I'm just a hindrance towards their overall happiness. That's why I'm more than happy to get away from them."

Draco lightly laughed. "You know, I've always pictured a cozy little life for you. A family who adores you and cherished the ground you walked on and so on and so forth."

The girl scoffed. "That will _never_ happen. They might've lightened up some, but after this year, I'm more than willing to move on. I think they share the same mindset."

Draco sat up. "It's just really odd. I never would've pegged you as someone with a crummy home life. You seem too… I don't know, perky."

Haley laughed. "That's only because I'm genuinely happy to be here. You have no idea how happy I was to leave them my first year. I was actually disappointed to have to go back during the summer. But that'll all be over when the year is through."

"Do you have any idea of what you'll be doing after school?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't really know. But I'm definitely interested in becoming an Auror."

"Ha! I knew it! You're predictable, Jones."

"And what, pray tell, are _you _going to do when you're out?"

"I don't really know either. I suppose I'll just live off my inheritance and do nothing all day. Would you visit me?"

"Of course not! By then, you'll probably have weird smell about you and of course your looks will have gone down hill as well. Your wit might not be as sharp either and to be honest, that's the only reason why I'm your friend now."

Draco laughed. "My sharp wit is the only reason why you're my friend?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "Take that out and you're left with an arrogant, smarty-pants with a bad temper."

"Thanks for letting me know how you _truly_ feel about me, Jones."

"Now, now. Don't feel so bad. Luckily for you, you _do_ have your wit. And therefore, I _am_ your friend."

The Head Boy simply rolled his eyes and smiled. "You really _are_ cruel to me."

The girl smiled in return. "I only do it out of love."

"Ah! So you admit you love me?"

"Are you not listening, dear Draco? Your _wit_. I love your _wit._ That's all. The rest is practically repulsive."

"Well you know what they say. 'Misery loves company.'"

"Are you calling me repulsive?"

"If the shoe fits."

"If you find me repulsive, why are we still here in what is probably your love shack?"

Again, Draco laughed, looking up at the ceiling. "Again with the womanizing…"

"You never _did_ answer my question. How many women have you brought here?" Haley asked, a sly smirk on her face.

The boy looked at her and cocked his head. "Just one." He nodded at her.

"No. Way."

Draco stood and walked over to where Haley was seated. He leaned against the desk and looked her square in the eye. "I don't like to share. If every girl I've ever 'wooed' knew about this place, what good is it to me then?"

Haley paused. "So then why would you bring _me_ here?"

Draco tapped his lips. "…I have my reasons." He walked back over to the other desk and ate another piece of cake. "Curfew's approaching. We should go soon."

Haley merely nodded. "All right."

With a flick of his wand, Draco put out the fire and the two friends left the room. He locked the door behind them and they strolled back towards the common room. And every so often, Draco would eat another piece of cake.

"So then," Haley asked curiously. "How many girls _have_ you 'wooed?'"

"I'm not one to kiss and tell."

"None then?" Haley smirked.

"I'll have you know, I've had a number of suitors in the past. But all of them were found to be unsatisfactory."

"So what _does_ Draco Malfoy look for in a significant other?"

Draco thought about it. "Well, they'd have to challenge me. I get bored easily if they're always agreeing with me. I'd like someone outspoken and intelligent. Preferably athletic, so they can keep up with me, especially in bed." At this, Haley laughed. "They've also got to be sincere."

"How so?"

"As you know, I _am_ incredibly wealthy, so they'd have to like me for me and not for my wealth. And as you also know, I am incredibly _dashing,_" Haley laughed at this as well, "so they've got to like me for my than just my immaculate good looks."

"You know, that's funny. I thought you'd actually fancy a girl who'd cling to your every word."

"Like I said, I get bored with those types. Sometimes I enjoy an argument just for argument's sake. But that's not to say I don't like the submissive type." Draco smirked. "On the contrary, I rather enjoy the submissive, just in a different area."

Haley mocked gagging. "Too much information, Draco."

"What? You asked. But actually, now that I think about it, I think it'd be interesting to have someone dominant in bed. I like people to take control sometimes."

"Too much!"

"Perhaps I'm looking for someone with a little bit of both. I think that would be ideal."

"Enough!"

Draco just laughed.

"Where have you two been?"

The two friends looked up to see Pansy standing in their way of the common room.

"It's none of your business, Parkinson." Draco waved the girl off.

"You're always with her Draco!" Pansy wailed, grabbing Draco's wrist as he tried to walk past. "There's nothing special about her! Why are you always with _her_?!"

The boy snatched his wrist back from the upset girl. "She's my friend. I like her."

"Oh you _like_ her do you? What are you expecting will come of it?! You know you can't _possibly_ like her! I know you can't!"

"Pansy-" Haley started.

"Shut up, you!" She barked at the other girl. She turned back to Draco. "Stop _playing_ with her, Draco! Everyone knows who you _truly_ like! So just stop playing with her and leave _her_ behind!"

Draco was quiet, but Haley stepped forward. "If Draco wants to spend time with me, then so be it! It's none of your business!"

"You know nothing, Jones. I see the way you look at him. You can't have him! You can _never_ have him."

"I never claimed to _want_ him! We're just _friends_!"

"And that's all you'll ever be! Or else!" Pansy withdrew her wand.

"Pansy-" Draco finally stepped forward.

"Oh I _dare_ you to take a shot at me, Parkinson. You have _no idea_ who you're messing with." Haley snarled.

"Haley, stop!" Draco demanded, as Haley whipped out her wand.

"Bring it on, Jones! I'm not afraid of you! _Stupefy!_"

"_Protego_!"

The spell Pansy cast backfired and hit her dead on. The brunette flew backwards against the entrance of the common room.

"Haley, that's _enough_!" Draco growled.

"She started it! You saw her!"

This didn't seem to deter the boy as he helped a rather stunned Pansy to her feet. "Just leave."

"Draco?! You're taking _her_ side? _She_ started it!"

"Just _go_, Jones! Be done with it!"

Haley gaped at the boy, hurt and betrayal in her eyes. Without another word, she pushed past the two Slytherins and hurried into the common room where she almost toppled over Ethan.

"Oh! Sorry, Ethan."

"That's all right." He steadied himself. "What was all that noise out there?"

Haley let out a frustrated sigh and walked over to one of the opens seats and collapsed into it. "Pansy just tried to attack me! I defend myself and he takes _her_ side! What's wrong with this house?"

Ethan took the seat adjacent to her. "Calm down. Please."

Haley stewed in her anger, but said no more.

"I assume you're talking about Draco?" Haley's expression darkened, which Ethan took as a yes. "Can you really blame him though?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Haley snapped.

"What I mean," Ethan continued calmly, urging the girl to do the same, "is that that Draco and Pansy have been friends for a long time. You can't really expect him to take your side when them two have a long-lasting, deeper connection."

"But he doesn't even like her."

"He said that?"

"Well… not to that extent… but it's not like they're the best of friends."

"But he doesn't exactly despise her, does he?"

Haley just looked sullen.

"Put it this way," Ethan tried again. "If I attacked Ginny Weasley, a girl _you're_ not exactly best of friends with, wouldn't you come to her aid despite _our_ budding friendship?"

Haley let this sit with her. Ethan had a point. "But… after tonight, I just thought…"

The boy frowned. "Why? What happened tonight?"

Haley sat up. "Look. Nothing happened. We just talked."

"So you were with him this whole time? Not just right now?"

"Don't you start. Please."

"Oh come on!" Ethan exhaled in frustration. "What is it about _him_?!"

"You're starting to sound just like Pansy!"

"Then so be it! You know you're only going to get hurt if you keep this up."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Oh what do you know?"

"I know who you really are." Ethan said through gritted teeth. "What do you think will happen if _he_ figures it out?"

The girl lowered her voice in warning. "Leave it."

"Everyone could feel the tension when you two walked out on the pitch," the hazel-eyed boy carried on, ignoring her wishes. "If he finds out that you've been lying to him this whole time, what do you think is going to happen?"

Haley clenched her teeth, feeling a rush of angry tears fill her eyes but she refused to let any of them go.

And still, Ethan carried on. "You're my friend. I want what's best for you." He moved forward in his seat, lowering his voice. "But come on, Harry! This thing with Draco? What do you think you're doing?"

"You don't think I've thought about it? I spent nearly the entire afternoon thinking about it! It's the same thing over and over again! It's ridiculous!" Haley buried her face in her hands. "I just want to be done with this."

"Haley," Draco called from the other side of the room. He and Pansy had finally entered the common room. He hurried over to the raven-haired girl, box still in his hand, as Pansy just headed up to her room. "Haley, can we talk?" He sneered at Ethan before turning his attention back to the girl.

Haley composed herself and looked up. "There's nothing to say, _Malfoy_." Her voice held nothing but contempt for the boy.

"Haley-"

She abruptly stood. "Just leave me be. _Both_ of you." She gave each boy a look of malice before she spun around and hurried into her room.

"What did you do?" Draco accused Ethan.

"What did _you_ do? She _came in_ upset, or did you forget?"

Draco shook his head, scorning the other boy. "Just stay away from her."

"Me? _You're_ the one monopolizing all of her time."

"It's just as well so that she stays away from _you_. Who knows what _you'd_ do with her, considering-"

"That was a mistake, Malfoy. Get over it."

"Like Hell I will. What kind of _idiot_ makes a 'mistake' like that?" Draco snarled.

Ethan snapped. He leapt up and tackled Draco to the ground, effectively squishing the cake. "You don't deserve her! She's too good for you!"

Draco kicked Ethan off. "And _you_ do?!" He looked at the box, and looked back at Ethan with the anger of a madman. "And you _ruined_ my cake!!" He swung at the boy, making contact with his nose.

Ethan held his nose in pain. Quickly, he knocked the box out of Draco's hands and hit the other boy in the shoulder, where he knew the Bludger had hit him earlier.

"You dirty bastard!" Draco yelled in pain before striking Ethan again with his good arm. Draco charged forward, tackling Ethan to the ground. Just as he was about to punch the git in the face, his entire body froze and he fell over.

"_WHAT_ is going on _here?!_" Snape snarled, his wand in hand.

Ethan stood, wiping blood away from his nose where Draco had struck him. "Nothing sir. Everything is fine, sir."

"Like Hell it is," Snape sneered. He released Draco from the spell cast on him. "Draco, explain."

Draco dusted himself off and clutched his shoulder. "It was nothing, sir."

Snape looked annoyed. "Since neither one of you are willing to speak up, then neither one of you will be staying here for the holidays. I'll make sure of it."

"But Professor-" Draco stepped forward.

"But nothing! You both need time to cool off. You're lucky I don't send you both to detention for the rest of the term. Now get out of my sight."

Ethan obediently and silently walked off.

Draco, on the other hand, walked over to his crushed cake. He was upset. "He made it for me…" he murmured. The look on his face was one of regret and sorrow. Finally, he took its remains and locked himself in his room.

Professor Snape looked around the common room to see everyone staring at him. "Don't you all have homework to do? If not, I can easily have it arranged." He dared. Everyone quickly looked away and made themselves to look busy. The Potions Master massaged his temples as he made his way back into his room.

He scoffed. "Teenagers…"

---

Haley backed away from her door. 'They were fighting…'

She heard the commotion soon after she shut her door. But too upset to really care, she just listened to the fight.

"They're both idiots…" She collapsed onto her bed and sighed. 'Stupid Pansy for trying to attack me… Stupid Draco for taking her side… Stupid Ethan for… for reminding me how stupid _I'm_ being… ugh.'

Haley turned on her side, hugging her pillow. 'We had a connection today…' she thought. 'As Harry, Draco and I had a civil conversation… that's more than we've ever had before. Maybe after all of this, Draco and I could be friends… but he took Pansy's side! Clearly, she was out of line and still he defended _her_!' The girl couldn't stop the jealousy that coursed through her veins. 'But Ethan is right. They _have_ been friends much longer than he and I have been. But… that doesn't make it hurt any less…'

Haley refused to let the tears of anger fall from her eyes. 'Ethan's right about a lot of things… If Draco _does_ find out, he'll realize that I _have_ been lying to him this whole time… He'll never trust me… And he said himself that he and I are supposed to be enemies… so nothing can _ever_ come of this friendship we have now, especially if I know I'm changing back. So what _am_ I trying to do here? Why do I keep getting closer to him?'

The answer was staring straight at her. 'But I can't. I can't possibly…But… I do.'

Haley closed her eyes and finally let the tears fall. She hugged her pillow tightly, burying her face in the fluffy object. 'I think… that I could quite possibly… and most genuinely… be falling in love with Draco.'

The thought nipped at her heart.

'No one makes me feel the way he does… I'm happy to just be near him… and today as Harry, I saw how cold he can be and it made me miss him. We hadn't even been apart for more than an hour and I _missed_ him. Hell, I was going to give up the match just so I could see him happy! Of all things! But…He may be arrogant and pretentious, but he's also kind and funny… But I can't be in love with Draco Malfoy! Despite our _one_ civil conversation, he practically despises me. Just yesterday, he was upset in knowing that I'd be returning, even for a moment. And what was with Pansy? 'He can't possibly love me as Haley?' Why not? Maybe there's someone else…But I never hear him talk about anyone… And he did say that everyone he's been with was simply unsatisfactory… But maybe there really_ is_ someone else he's got his heart set on. Maybe _that's_ why he didn't say anything when Pansy said that she knew who he _truly_ likes!'

More jealousy swept over the girl. 'If that's the case, then so be it! Draco can love whomever he wants! As for me…' Haley closed her eyes. 'I'll just go on loving him… He never knew. Blimey, I hardly knew… But he never has to know.'

Haley sighed and let her exhaustion consume her. 'Draco will never know that I love him. Because, frankly, what good can ever come of Harry Potter loving Draco Malfoy…?'

And with that, Haley fell into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

This chapter was hard to write, mostly because I had to get the wording right. I had to keep in mind who knows what and what who knows naught. Confusing, eh? Yes. But please review nonetheless. Oh. And the cake. Draco loves the cake because he knows that _Harry_ made it just for him. Stupid Ethan. He crushed the cake!! I am ashamed of having created him. Haha. Not really.

Oh and keep in this in mind. **Haley does change back.** I wouldn't go through the trouble of finding an antidote if they weren't going to use it. And plus, the Harry Potter genre can't possibly be Harry Potter without Harry Potter! So for those people hoping that Harry stays Haley, sorry. That's not going to happen. I hope this doesn't mean you hate the story now. I just thought I'd clarify that since some people made it clear that this is what they were hoping.


	20. Hardly Enemies

The Exchange – Hardly Enemies

* * *

"Haley... Haley, please talk to me." Draco knocked on the girl's door once more. She had skipped breakfast that morning, and even now it didn't seem like she was leaving her room any time soon. Draco had tried before breakfast. He had tried after breakfast. He had tried again after packing a few of his things, considering he was being forced to leave for at least a week. Twenty minutes were left before he had to go to the Great Hall, and yet he still tried.

The girl in question was sprawled across her bed, staring at the canopy of green and silver above. She didn't really comprehend Draco's words through the door. It was like they were echoing throughout her mind. She just wanted to numb herself from everything and so she did.

"Haley, _please_."

And still no response.

"Haley, I'm leaving for the holidays. It's not because I _want_ to, I'm being _forced_ to. Haley, talk to me, _please_." He sighed at the silence that met him. "I'll be back within the week, though, I promise you." Draco rested his forehead against the door and sighed once more. 'Harry…'

"Shouldn't you be heading down soon?" Blaise asked as he walked past his best friend.

Draco merely nodded. "Haley, I have to go now. I'll see you in a week, all right?" Silence. He looked over to Blaise. "Take care of her, okay?"

"You can count on me," the boy nodded.

"All right. Merry Christmas, mate. I'll see you in a week."

"Merry Christmas, Draco."

The two blondes hugged briefly before Draco slipped on his jacket and headed out of the common room.

Blaise turned to the locked door. "You know, it would be quite hilarious to find out that you're not even in there," he tried. "Think of it! The Head Boy, talking to a door? Utter madness! Then again, I'd be mad as well… Haley?"

Blaise shook his head at the silence that greeted him. 'What _happened_ last night?' He turned back around and left the girl to her thoughts.

---

Haley _did_ eventually emerge from her room that day. Of course she did. She was hungry. And on her way to the Great Hall for lunch, Haley bumped into Leir.

"Oh, hello Haley." The Hufflepuff smiled.

"Hello, Leir. You're not going home for the holidays?"

"'Fraid not. Perhaps on Christmas Eve, but not right now. How about you?"

"I'll be staying as well."

"That's good. Oh, so how was your trip back yesterday?"

'Yesterday…' Haley thought to herself. It seemed so much longer than that. "It was great going back. I miss it already." She smiled at the boy.

"It's a shame that you had to go, though. The match yesterday was brilliant. Harry Potter's an excellent Seeker. I wish I had the chance to meet him though. Heard he had to take off right away to disarm a Muggle bomb."

Haley burst out into laughter at this rumor. "Really? That's ridiculous!"

Leir smiled. "I'm nearly positive that it's just a rumor, but it's more believable than some of the other things that I've heard."

"Like what?"

"One is that he wasn't really Harry Potter and was just a professional who took some Polyjuice Potion and that if he didn't get back, everyone would see that it's really Viktor Krum."

"Haha!"

"Another is that he just really really needed to use the restroom and he's developed some psychological disorder where he can't go unless he's under the protection of the night sky and because it was day here, he had to floo far far away."

Haley shook her head in amusement. "What in the world…"

"But the one that made me laugh more than the rest is where Harry Potter has developed some sort of problem where he changes into a woman! And he had to leave so soon after the match because it was almost time for him to switch back! Can you imagine? Harry Potter, a woman! Ludicrous!"

Haley forced a laugh at this one. "Right… ludicrous…heh..."

"It's ridiculous, actually. The things people come up with just because he vanished so suddenly." Leir shook his head in mirth. "People need to realize that just because he's Harry Potter doesn't mean his life is one adventure novel after the next."

"Exactly!" Haley smiled. "I completely and utterly agree."

"Well it was nice talking to you, Haley, but I've got to get going."

"Oh wait, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes? Go on."

"I heard you had detention the other day."

"Oh that. It was stupid really. I just wandered down the wrong way. This place is huge! I ended up getting caught after hours in one of the forbidden corridors. But luck was on my side again."

"Yeah I heard. Just the one detention again. Lucky you."

"Either I'm very lucky or the world is out to get you," Leir joked. "Well I really should be off."

"Oh right. Bye Leir. It's always nice talking to you." The girl smiled.

"My thoughts exactly." He had a joyful twinkle in his eye. "I'll see you later, Haley."

And with that, Leir took off as Haley was suddenly reminded of her growing hunger. Upon entering the Great Hall, Haley spotted Ron with Hermione sitting in their usual spots. She joined her two best friends, sitting across the table from them.

"Hello Harry." Hermione smiled. "How are you today?"

"Tired, hungry, and utterly drained." Haley bluntly stated.

Her two friends gave each other a worried glance. "What's wrong, mate? Did something happen?" Ron asked.

"Wait. Let me stuff myself first. I'm starved."

And as she said, Haley stuffed her face. She didn't really care for manners since there was hardly anyone there to watch her except Ron and Hermione, both of which were slightly disgusted and slightly amused by their friend's eating habits.

"Harry, slow down. You'll choke yourself." Hermione scolded.

"I missed breakfast. I'm hungry," the Slytherin defended.

"But that doesn't mean you have to give up manners," the other girl lectured.

"Just let the man eat," Ron defended. "Food is fuel for the body."

"Exactly! Put her there, mate!"

The two friends high-fived, leaving Hermione shaking her head.

"You two are positively _perfect_ for each other." Hermione commented.

"Yeah, except for the fact that I'm already in love with a girl named Hermione Granger." The redhead smirked, throwing an arm around his blushing girlfriend.

Haley shoveled a spoonful of potatoes into her mouth. "Yeah," she said around them, "and I'm already in love with Drac-" She stopped mid-chew, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared at her friends.

Both Ron and Hermione were staring at the girl in front of them, shock written across their faces. "_What?!_" They cried at the same time.

"What? Nothing-" She laughed nervously. Quickly she crammed more food in her mouth. "Mrrph, mrrph, mrrph. Hmmph?"

"First of all, Harry, that's disgusting. And secondly, _what?!_" Hermione tried again.

Haley swallowed her food and drank some juice. "All right, look. That came out of nowhere."

"You're telling me!" Ron blurted.

Haley scooted forward in her seat and lowered her voice. "But yeah. I really think it's true. I think I might be in love with Draco."

"That's wonderful!"

"That's terrible!"

The couple looked at each other with confusion and surprise at the other's reaction.

"That's wonderful?" Ron said. "How can it be wonderful? Harry's in love with Malfoy. _Malfoy!_"

"Well, it's hardly _terrible_! I think it's rather sweet." She looked back at the other girl and smile wholeheartedly. "I'm happy for you Harry."

But Haley didn't smile back. "Thank you, but it's not like anything's going to come of it."

At this, Ron let out a sigh of relief, earning a frown from his girlfriend.

"What? Why not?" she asked.

"Well, like Ron said, it's _Malfoy_."

"What does _that_ matter?"

"It means that although I may like him, that doesn't mean he likes me."

Hermione was skeptical. "Well, that's ridiculous. Of course he likes yo-"

"I mean the _real_ me." This effectively silenced Hermione. "You see? Nothing can come of it."

"Well you don't know that." Hermione tried.

"I do actually. Draco hates the real me. I mean, we had a civil conversation once, after the Quidditch match-"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that," Ron stopped the girl. "I'm glad we won and all, but what happened in the middle there?"

Haley briefly contemplated what good it would do to tell Ron the truth. But these were her best friends. She couldn't blatantly lie to them. And even if she did, they'd easily figure it out. Haley bit her lip. "I… stopped."

"You stopped. In the middle of chasing down the Snitch, you stopped… You-" Ron gasped. "You _didn't?!_"

"What-oh!" Hermione exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand as she figured it out. "You were going to _let _him win?"

Haley braced herself. Slowly, she nodded.

"_WHAT?!_" Ron bellowed. "How could you?! We were working our _bums_ off and you were just going to _let_ them win?! Har-"

Hermione quickly covered Ron's mouth before he spout out Haley's real name. The people at the other tables didn't seem to notice nor care.

"Please, calm down Ron." Haley said softly but urgently. "Look, we won didn't we? For a brief moment, I wanted him to win but I came to my senses soon after, didn't I? You can't be mad at something that didn't happen."

"Of _course _you can be mad at something that didn't happen!" He whispered sharply. "I wanted French toast for breakfast and that didn't happen! I'm mad!"

"Ron." Haley frowned. "You know what I mean."

"Okay fine. But why would you even think of doing something like that?"

"I don't know. When I changed that afternoon, he was so cold to me, and all I could think of was making him smile. I thought that maybe if they won, he would smile."

"You were going to give up a match just to see Malfoy smile? Are you insane?"

"Ronald, stop it." Hermione cut in. "Can't you see he's serious?"

The redhead stopped and stared at his friend sitting across from him. "Really? _Him_?" Haley merely nodded. Ron let out a sigh. "Have you forgotten how much he's tortured us in the past? How cruel he was? The names he's called us? The names he's called my _family_?"

Haley shook her head. "Of course I haven't forgotten. But there's more to him than that. Despite all his shortcomings, there's a lot more to him that I had never seen before. He's kind and sincere and smart. He makes me happy just to be near him. I can't help what I feel." The girl looked down and poked the food on her plate with her fork. "But like I said, it doesn't matter. He hates me."

"Harry, he doesn't-" Hermione tried to reason.

"Yes he does. The mere mention of my return and he's gloomy the entire day. Stepping on the pitch just yesterday, the tension was practically tangible when he looked at me as me. And just last night, he pointed out that he and I are thought of to be enemies. If he doesn't hate me, then he certainly does _not_ like me." Haley looked back up. "And besides, I think there's someone else, anyway."

The Head Girl frowned. "Someone else? Like who?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. But it's certainly not me." She went back to poking her potatoes.

"Harry, though I must say I really don't like Malfoy, I hate seeing you like this even more." Ron spoke up. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you should just stay a girl."

Both Hermione and Haley looked up at the boy in shock. "What?"

"Just hear me out. The people you're close to already know, right? I mean, of course not _all_ of them, but most of them. And you have to admit, being someone new makes them stop looking at you with star struck eyes. And if you stay a girl, you might have a chance with," Ron inwardly shuddered, "…Malfoy. You've been given this second chance to start fresh with him, right? Maybe that's a good thing."

Haley just shook her head. "No offense to Hermione, but being a girl isn't all that great. I like being a boy. Changing back yesterday made that more clear than ever. I hate bras, I hate panties, and sometimes, I just feel like ripping all of this hair out. And most of all, I hate skirts. They're just an excuse for guys to look at me like a slab of meat. Oh wait." Haley frowned. "I know what I hate more than skirts. Periods." At this, Hermione had to stifle a laugh. "They're disgusting and a hassle and I wish that someone out there, muggle or wizard, would just find a way to be rid of them once and for all."

"Cheers to that," Hermione said as she raised her cup and took a sip. This time it was Haley and her who shared a high-five.

"I'm happy being a boy," Haley concluded. "Though I may possibly love him, I don't think _anyone_ is worth losing myself for. Especially when I'm happy as I am."

"…Period?" Ron cocked an eyebrow. "Please, oh please. Harry, are you on your period?" The boy pursed his lips together, holding back the laughter that threatened to burst through.

"_No_ you jerk. And that's exactly why I didn't tell you when I was."

Ron still snickered, nonetheless.

"You try being a girl, Ron Weasley. In fact, I _dare_ you!" Haley glared.

"Interesting…" Hermione piped. "I'd like to see that as well. Maybe _then_ you'd understand how hard being a girl can be."

"If I were a girl, 'Mione, that would make you a lesbian." Hermione merely rolled her eyes at Ron's comment. "Actually… that might not be so bad…"

"Ron!" She smacked him lightly across his shoulder.

"Anyway, I don't think that potion would work on me. I'm _much _too masculine for all of this," the redhead flexed his muscles, "to turn into that." He finished by pointing at Haley.

Haley just scoffed. "Excuses."

"_Anyway_," Hermione trudged on. "What are you going to do now, Harry?"

"About Malfoy? Nothing. I'm actually pretty irritated by him right now. I mean, beyond the whole falling in love with him bit, I am annoyed by what happened last night."

"Why? What happened last night?" Ron questioned.

"We were talking and I really thought we made real progress in our relationship. He talked about his family and I talked about the Dursleys. Things seemed to be going so well. But then on our way back to the common room, Pansy tried to stun me! I only defended myself and he tells _me_ to back off of _her_. I couldn't believe he took her side after he saw her attack me first. It was like a slap in the face. So this morning when he tried to talk to me, I just ignored him. Considering…_everything_, I just didn't think I could handle seeing him."

"I wonder why he would do that though," Hermione thought out loud.

"Pansy was saying stuff like he could never love me cause she knows who he _really_ loves," Haley added.

"So do you think he took Pansy's side because _she's_ the one he loves?" The Head Girl wondered.

"I hadn't even thought of that. Do you think that's the case? I mean, they don't _seem_ that close…"

"Well, haven't they been friends a long time?" Ron pointed out.

"But Draco said he only talks to her out of an obligation to his father. How can they be more than friends if it's an obligatory friendship?"

"You've got it all wrong."

The three friends all sat up in surprise at the new voice.

"Oh hello, Blaise." Haley greeted. "Ummm… how long have to been there?"

"Not long. I heard something about Pansy and it just caught my attention, that's all." He looked at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I don't believe I've had the pleasure." He held out his hand to Hermione, which she politely shook. He turned to Ron. "Mister Weasley, good to meet you."

"You must be Blaise Zabini," Hermione commented. "Harry's told us a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope." He smiled at his Slytherin friend.

"Sit, please." Haley pulled on the boy's arm, making him sit next to her. "What do you mean I've got it all wrong?" Haley pushed on.

"Well, Pansy and Draco. Don't let their relationship fool you. They're very much friends. Sure Pansy can be pushy and somewhat annoying, but in the end, Draco and Pansy will always have each other's back."

"Oh…" Haley looked down.

"But that hardy suggests that they're in love with each other. Pansy may have at one point, but I think she's pretty much over it by now."

"Really?" Hermione cut in. "By the sound of it, she's still strung up on Draco. I mean, Harry said that she tried to attack him last night. Why would she do that if she weren't in love?"

"Oh. So _that's _what happened…" Blaise tapped his bottom lip, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I knew it had to be something to that extent… And considering how you're no longer talking to him, I assume he took Pansy's side?"

Haley merely nodded.

"Ah. Don't get the wrong idea, love. Pansy gets jealous of anyone who gets close to Draco but it's not because she loves him. At least not in the way you might think. She's just very protective of him. After all, she knows what Ethan did."

"_She_ knows?" Haley stared, mouth agape.

"What? What did he do?" Ron looked confused.

The blonde bit his lip. "I can't say. Draco doesn't know that I know and Ethan's pretty ashamed of it. As my best friends, it'd be wrong of me to divulge."

"Aw, come on!" Both Haley and Ron exclaimed.

"Leave him be," Hermione chastised. "If he doesn't want to say, you can't force him."

"Thank you, Hermione." Blaise smiled. "I always knew I'd like you."

Hermione smiled in return, but Ron quickly wrapped an arm around the girl. "It'll do you some good to like someone _else_ too."

At this, Blaise laughed. "I wouldn't dare break up Gryffindor's golden couple. As if I could, anyway."

"That's right." Hermione said to Ron. "So quit being such a prat whenever someone says something like that. I'm in love with you and only you."

"What?"

"I said I'm in love with you, you deaf buffoon."

Ron just smirked and looked at the two across from him. "I'm not actually deaf, of course. I just like hearing her say that."

"Oh!" Haley perked. "You're Draco's best friend so you've got to know who he's in love with!" She looked excitedly at Blaise. "Do you?"

Again Blaise bit his lip. "I…do."

"Who-"

"But I can't say. I promised not to say."

"Ugh. You have the loyalty of a Hufflepuff…" Haley frowned.

"Not that that's a bad thing." Hermione quickly added. She eyed Haley carefully. "Cause if he didn't, he could easily spill _your_ secret."

"That is true..." Blaise smirked. "I have a _great_ upper hand."

"You wouldn't …" Haley said, although she didn't seem to believe it herself.

"No, I wouldn't." Blaise assured, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I told you before. You can trust me."

"Thank you, Blaise." Haley smiled. "Okay, so wait. Pansy only attacked me because she's being protective of Draco?"

"Right. She doesn't like people getting so close to him."

"Especially after what Ethan did." Hermione added her own thoughts.

"So… Draco took her side because he must care for her in return, right?" Haley thought out loud.

"Well I don't know… what exactly did she say to him last night?"

"Basically, she told him to stop playing around with me because there's no way he could love me if…" Haley paused, a realization reaching her. "She was protecting me. Pansy was protecting _me_." The girl looked back at Blaise. "Do you know if she left for the holidays?"

The blonde slowly shook his head, truly thinking it over. "I… don't think so…"

Haley turned to her other friends. "I'll see you guys later."

And with that, Haley, energy renewed by a full stomach, made her way to the Slytherin dorms.

'It seemed like she was protecting Draco but I just know there was more to it than that…There's more to Pansy than this stubborn little git, I know it...'

She found the girl leaving the common room.

"Pansy!" Haley called.

Pansy looked over at Haley and panic quickly overcame her. She looked to her sides for any quick means of escape, but Haley was just too close. "Look Jones, just stay away from m-"

"I'm sorry." Haley quickly apologized.

Pansy froze. "What?"

"But you have to admit that you were wrong in trying to stun me. I was only defending myself."

"What are you getting at?" Pansy asked, still suspicious.

"Look. I know we haven't really got off on the right foot, but… if you're willing to move on, so am I." Pansy made no move. "Can we just go inside and talk for a minute?"

"Are you going to kill me?" The smaller girl asked cautiously.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Hardly. Now come on. We need to talk." She led the way into the common room, and Pansy slowly, but surely, followed. The two took sat across from each other, both stiff and a little awkward.

It was Pansy that broke the silence. "What do you want from me?"

"Do you hate me?" Haley asked bluntly.

"Of course I do!" The other girl barked.

"Why?"

"Cause you're toying with Draco! He doesn't need this! He doesn't need _you_." Pansy, as if suddenly remembering who she was dealing with, sat back in her seat as far away from Haley as she could.

Haley remained calm. "Well, what does that matter if you know Draco's already in love with someone else? If you really hated me, wouldn't you _want_ Draco to hurt me?"

Pansy pursed her lips and didn't respond.

"Pansy, I don't want to fight with you. _Especially_ if you're a friend to Draco."

"So you're only playing nice because you think Draco will like you more, is that right? Well let me tell you-"

Haley frowned. "That's hardly the case. I only meant that if Draco can find a friend in you then I want to find it too."

The other girl blinked. "You _want_ to be my friend?"

"As long as you stop trying to attack me and stop assuming that I'm doing _anything_ with any_one._"

"But you're the one always prancing around with the boys."

"First of all, I don't prance. Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Well-"

Haley held up her hand, effectively silencing the other girl. "Don't answer that. And secondly, they're my friends. I like spending time with them, sure, because they're my friends. It's not like I'm trying to seduce them or anything."

Pansy's expression grew dark as she looked at her hands in her lap. "It's not fair." She said quietly. "It took three years for Draco to open up to me. And in three weeks, he's already fawning over you. What makes _you_ so special?"

"That's the thing! I'm _not_ special. I'm just your average person trying to get through life one day at a time."

"Obviously, there's got to be _some_thing. I've known all of those boys for all the years I've been here and none of them are as close to me as they are to you."

"Well, you're very intense sometimes. And it can get a little annoying. You constantly think you're better than everyone-"

"I do not!" Pansy gaped.

"Trust me, you do." Haley said, blatantly. "Just relax. Stop trying to impress them and just be yourself. Have fun with them. And for goodness sake, stop with the pet names, _please_."

"I just want them to like me…"

"But that doesn't mean you have to force them to. Let them like you as you are."

"But what if they don't like me?"

"I'm sure they will. This is our first civil conversation and I'm already beginning to like you."

Pansy scoffed, but smiled nonetheless. "You're something else, Jones."

"So I've heard."

The two girls lightly laughed amongst themselves.

"Okay, okay. Be honest now. When you were yelling at me last night, it wasn't _just_ because you were protecting Draco was it?" Haley smirked.

"All right fine. Since we're _friends_." Pansy mirrored the other's smirk. "Draco _is_ in love with someone else. Who that is, I can't say. You understand."

"Of course."

"Now if he gets close to you, he'll only be leading you on. And you'll be hurt."

"I knew it! You were looking out for me."

Again, Pansy scoffed. "As if. My intention, for the most part, was to focus Draco. If he somehow managed to fall for _you_, how do you think that would make _me_ feel? I loved him. And he claimed to be in love with this someone else and that no one could make him feel like this person does. I'd be _crushed_ if you could do what I couldn't."

"Oh. Thanks." Haley replied, dryly.

"Seriously though. Draco's my dearest friend. No one makes him light up the way he does when this other person is around. And if I know that you can't make him happy, I will come between you so that he can find his _true_ happiness. I wanted to break you two up before you got too attached like I did."

Haley's heart sunk. She scoffed. "Too late."

Pansy started. "What?"

"Before you get all defensive and angry, I know nothing will come of it, especially after all that you just said. But yes. I suppose that I really have fallen for Draco."

Pansy shook her head. "Nothing will come of it, Jones. I'm warning y-"

"I know. I know, I know, I know." She buried her face in her hands. "I couldn't help it… he's just so-"

"I know."

Haley looked back up at Pansy. There was a small sadness in her eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "How… how did you get over him?"

The girl looked surprised by the question. "Once I realized that we could never be, I just stopped thinking of him in that way. He's kind. And he can often make you feel like you're the only one in the room. But once I stopped thinking of it like that, I realized that he's kind to nearly all he's close to. It's a short list, but it was noticeable. He holds his friends dear. If I couldn't have him, I could settle with being his friend because even as his friend, I know I have a special place in his heart. And that's all I really wanted anyway."

Haley mulled this over. She had to agree. To be Draco's friend was all she really wanted above all else. 'But what if I can't even have that…?'

"Why not?"

Haley snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

"You said 'But what if I can't even have that?' Why wouldn't you? It seems you already do."

"Yeah, _now._ But once I leave, things will change. And I'll never have what I have now." Pansy didn't know how to respond to this, so Haley continued on. "I suppose it's a good thing that Draco's gone now. We left on a rather sour note. Maybe this is my chance to distance myself."

"But that's not fair to _him_." Pansy defended. "You're obviously good friends. Despite your argument, he still holds you dear. How do you think he'll feel when he returns and you've simply brushed him off?"

"I thought you'd be overjoyed at the idea." Haley replied, airily.

"Again, I clarify that I'm only looking out for Draco." Haley gave a light laugh. "Besides, I can see now that you've come to the conclusion that friends are all you and he will ever be."

The green-eyed-girl sighed, looking at nothing in particular. "I'm not just going to brush him off. I'll just… stop looking at him in that light…"

Pansy looked at the other girl with sincerity in knowing exactly what she was going through. "He's not all that great anyway."

Haley looked up at the smiling Pansy with a little surprise.

"He's so sure of himself." The other girl carried on. "He thinks he knows everything, but he doesn't. Did you know that for the longest time, Draco didn't know how to tie his own shoes? Growing up, he always had someone else do it for him or he just used magic. He never learned how to do it by hand until I showed him when he was eight."

Haley laughed.

"Also," Pansy continued. "He's quite possibly the worst chef in the world. It's a good thing that he has house-elves at home cause I'm quite sure he would starve without them."

The two girls laughed at the Head Boy's expense.

"See." Pansy smiled. "He's not so great after all."

Haley returned the smile. "Thanks. You're not as vile as I thought you were."

"And you're hardly the repugnant riff-raff I thought you to be as well."

The two girls looked at each other knowing that though they might not ever be the greatest friends, now, after this moment, they were hardly enemies.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

TWENTY CHAPTERS, OMG. OO WHY DID I MAKE THIS SO LONG?! WHY IS THIS ALL IN CAPS?!

Anyway... Another hard chapter to write because dialogue is no longer just on the surface. I have to keep in mind what people know and what they don't know and that's a little hard to write. That's why they should all just stop with the secrecy. Damn you secrets!! You make my life harder!! But lovely. Haha. So… Pansy… I never intended for her to seem evil or anything. Just somewhat misunderstood. It's like she doesn't think before she acts. So that's why she can seem so obnoxious. So… don't hate that she and Haley are on good terms. Yah.

Reviews make me happy! Especially the long ones! Haha.


	21. Intuition

The Exchange – Intuition

It was well into the winter holidays and things were pretty calm around the school of Hogwarts. Haley had been invited to go to the Weasley home in two days time for Christmas, and despite not wanting to face the inevitable teasing from Fred and George, she agreed. After all, Christmas was a time for family and the Weasleys were her family.

Since coming to a truce with Pansy, she and the girl were budding friends. At first, Pansy was timid to approach, but Haley always greeted her warmly and soon enough, the two girls were, if anything, good friends. If Haley wasn't spending time with Ron and Hermione, she could often be seen with Blaise and Pansy. As for Blaise and Pansy, once the girl stopped trying to impress the boy, he genuinely seemed to warm up to her.

"And whenever she sees something she likes on the table, she bites her bottom lip in a smile. I swear, if she had a tail it would be wagging."

Haley only listened half-heartedly to Blaise's musing. She was focusing more on how the boy had just been talking about Pansy for the past half hour. A sly smile graced the girl's lips, but the blonde took no notice having been too caught up in his own thoughts.

"And did you know that she has two dogs? I bet you can guess what kind. PUGS! Haha! It's so funny cause people have often said that she has a pug face! But I find pugs adorable with their cute little curly tails."

"Blaise-"

"You know, I've always wanted a dog, but my mum was always concerned that they wouldn't get along with her cat."

"Blaise-"

"Of course, Pansy's allergic to cats. Nothing too terrible though. She just sneezes around them."

"Blaise!"

The blonde finally ceased his chatter and looked to his friend. "Yes?"

"Though this is all entertaining, I only asked if you've seen Pansy around. And that was half an hour ago."

The boy lightly blushed. "Oh. Um, no I suppose."

"I think you're smitten." Haley smirked.

"Impossible! I mean, sure, she's less annoying when she's not fawning over Draco, but I'm hardly _smitten_."

"Is that a tinge of jealousy I hear?" The girl teased. "Do you want her to be fawning over _you_?"

Blaise looked accosted. "Pansy Parkinson can fawn over anyone she likes. It doesn't matter to me who she likes."

"Well good. You can tell her that yourself, cause here she comes."

At this, Blaise immediately straightened up and looked around. Sure enough, the girl was approaching her two new friends with something in her hands. She didn't know what to make of the blonde's sudden blush but thought nothing of it as she turned her attention to the girl with him.

"Here. I found this about a week ago. I nearly forgot all about it but here it is."

Haley simply stared at the album Pansy had just placed on the table in front of her. "This… where did you get this?" Haley snatched the album into her hands and flipped it open. Just as she had assumed, it was Ethan's album filled with photos of the raven-haired girl that had gone missing not too long ago.

Pansy took a seat next to Haley. "I told you, I found it."

"Wait…" Haley flipped the last page over and over again in her hands.

"What is it?" Blaise asked.

"There're some pages missing. Pansy-"

"I didn't do it." Pansy spouted, before the other girl could accuse her of anything. "I found it just like that. Those pages were torn before I even picked it up off the floor."

"Then why did you keep it? Why didn't you just return it to Ethan? You knew he was missing it."

"I'll admit that at the time my intentions weren't exactly…pure. Honestly, I wanted to burn it. But," she quickly added just as Haley was about to comment. "I didn't. I just tossed it aside in my trunk and it's been there ever since. And I'm giving it to _you_ instead of him because frankly, I don't trust him. He probably pleasures himself to these, anyway."

"Hey!"

"Ew!"

Both Blaise and Haley looked at Pansy incredulously. The girl merely shrugged. "Just an assumption."

"Though that was rather disturbing, I appreciate you returning this nonetheless." Haley said, still frowning at Pansy's comment.

"I'll have you know, I share a room with Ethan and I highly doubt that he does such a thing, let alone with an album full of pictures of his friend."

"Well, you can't be absolutely sure, can you? I mean, looking through that album, he seems rather obsessive, don't you think?"

"How can you say such a thing? You hardly know him." Blaise frowned.

"I know enough about him to say such a thing."

"Just because Draco doesn't like him doesn't mean you have to hate him, too."

"I dislike him for what he _did _to Draco, not simply because Draco doesn't like him."

"Bullocks! You do everything Draco wants of you. Everyone knows how much you _love_ him. But guess what? There's no reason to suck up to him, Pansy! Draco's not here!"

"What's the matter with you? I was just trying to do something nice and you're attacking me!" The girl abruptly stood, glaring at the boy. "And for the record, I am _not_ in love with Draco! If that's all you think of me then I'm more than willing to hate you just as much as I do Maxwell!" And with that, Pansy stormed off, leaving a stunned Haley and a disgruntled Blaise.

Haley slowly looked over to the boy. "What was that about, then?"

Blaise slumped in his seat and frowned. "It's not fair to him. Ethan is a nice guy. He's my best friend. But people just keep attacking him because they don't know him. It's wrong of her to call him obsessive. She doesn't even know him."

"But you know her. She doesn't really watch what she says."

"That's her fault, then. She should grow up and get some manners for her snobbery."

"Blaise," Haley frowned. "Give her a break. She's hardly perfect, but she's working on it. Can't you see that?"

"This coming from _you_? Weren't you the one that hated her less than one week ago?"

"Things can change in one week. Sure, I hated her. But now I've gotten to know her. And she's not as horrid as she seems. I think, deep down, all she really wants are friends. _True_ friends. And I'm sure if you give her the chance, you'll realize how fond of her you are. And then you two will be friends as well. I mean, you were doing just fine right before now. You were practically fawning over her."

Blaise neither accepted nor denied Haley's proclamation. He was quiet for a moment, tapping his bottom lip. Finally, with realization written on his face, Blaise uttered "My goodness…"

"What?"

"I just realized. We're like you and Draco. Perhaps not to the extreme, but similar. I dislike her, she I assume disliked me, and here we had a chance to see something new of the other. Something better… Just as you and Draco did. You think she'll fall in love with me, too?" He snickered.

Haley responded by throwing a pillow at her friend. "With the way you just treated her, you'll be lucky if she even talks to you. Same goes for me."

Blaise sat up and smiled at this friend. "You know I'm just teasing."

"Of course. Now I suggest you talk to her before she feels like burning an album filled with _your _picture."

"Right." Blaise stood. "Maybe _then_ she'll love me."

Again, Blaise met face-first with a pillow, courtesy Haley Jones.

---

Haley flipped through the album again, probably for the fifth time that afternoon. And each time she reached the back, she half-expected the missing pages to return. But they were gone. And she had no idea where they might be.

'It means that someone actually stole those pictures. Pictures of _me_.' Haley inwardly shuddered. 'It's so creepy… who would do such a thing? And why?'

Haley also wondered whether or not she should return the album to Ethan. It was weird knowing that he had it, considering his feelings for the girl. Pansy was right. It did seem rather obsessive. But Haley knew Ethan better than that. They were friends after all.

'But then… there is that one thing that no one seems to want to talk about… Just what did Ethan do to Draco? He obviously did something very wrong. It was bad enough to ruin a friendship he had with Draco and it was enough to make Blaise call his best friend an idiot…But if he really is a dangerous person, would he still be here?'

Haley didn't know what to think. She had no real reason to doubt Ethan, except in knowing that _something_ happened. Other than that, Ethan was just another of her friends.

The girl sighed. She quickly scribbled out a note before she picked up the album and made her way towards the owlery. In the end, she trusted Ethan. Therefore, he deserved to have his album back. After all, he did work hard on producing the album and compiling it. This alone was enough incentive for her to return it to its rightful owner.

Upon entering the owlery, Haley was instantly greeted by Hedwig, her snowy owl. Even as Haley, Hedwig able to recognize her owner. The owl affectionately perched on the girl's shoulder and nibbled on her ear.

"Hello Hedwig," Haley smiled, stroking the white feathers across the bird's back. "I have a parcel I need you to return for me."

Hedwig hooted in understanding, immediately stretching out her leg.

"Do you think you need help with it? I'll have you deliver the note and have two others carry the album, all right?"

Again, Hedwig hooted.

Haley did as she said, told Hedwig to take it to Ethan, and watched her animal friend fly away with two of the school owls following closely behind. In her note, she had explained to Ethan how Pansy had found it and that the pages were missing before it was in her possession. And of course, she finished by wishing the boy a wonderful holiday.

Haley made her way back into the school. Upon passing a corridor on her way towards the Slytherin common room, she spotted Leir Valex arguing with Ernie Macmillan, a fellow seventh-year Hufflepuff.

"Oh! Haley!" Leir waved the girl over.

She obliged. "Hello, Leir. Ernie."

"Oh. You know me?" Ernie asked, a little surprised.

"Errr, yeah." Haley scrambled for a lie. "I've seen you around a bit. It's good to finally meet you."

"And you too." The two briefly shook hands.

"Perhaps you can help us." Leir said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm nearly positive that the Statue of Liberty holds her torch in her left hand, but Ernie swears it's her right. You're American, you should know."

"Actually, I haven't seen it in person…"

"But surely you know? I mean, it's one of your national symbols!" Ernie pursued.

"Well, I'm sure it's in her right…"

"What?" Leir frowned. "Then what's in her left?"

"It's a book of some sort." Ernie claimed.

"A book? Is that right?" Leir turned to Haley.

"I'm not exactly sure…"

"It's a tablet."

All three turned in hearing the forth voice.

Dean Thomas eyed Haley carefully as he approached them. "She holds the torch in her right hand and in her left she holds a tablet that commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence."

"Oh." Leir pouted. "Then at least tell me this. Is she really French?" Again, he turned to Haley for the answer.

When she could produce none, Dean stepped up again. "Yeah. She was a gift from France, so I guess you could put it that way."

"Ha! I told you!" Leir cheered.

"Fine, fine." Ernie shrugged. "But at least I was right about the torch."

"Yeah," Leir smiled as he turned to the other two. "Well thanks guys."

"Sure." Dean nodded. "Come Haley. We need to talk."

"Um, do we?" Haley bit her lip.

"Yes, " Dean affirmed.

"Do you have to go?" Leir asked.

"I kind of want to talk to her alone," Dean explained.

"Oh. Okay. It was good to see you again, Haley. Dean." Leir smiled.

Ernie just waved as Dean took Haley's hand and led her away.

"Umm… what's on your mind?" Haley tried.

Once the coast was clear, Dean abruptly stopped and faced the girl. "Enough with the act, Harry. I know it's you."

"Heh… funny one Dean." Haley laughed, awkwardly. 'Here we go again…'

The boy merely crossed his arms.

Haley frowned. "What makes you think that I'm-"

"Well you look like him, you talk like him, you have his same friends, you even walk like him, and hell," before Haley knew what he was doing, Dean quickly pushed aside the hair that covered Haley's tell-tale scar, "You even have a scar like him."

Haley immediate batted away Dean's hand and patted her hair back over her scar. "All right fine!" Haley said in a low voice. "I'm Harry Potter."

A slow grin came to Dean's face. "Hahaha! Harry! How the hell did this happen to you?"

Haley was not amused. She crossed her arms. "Let's just say a potion went terribly wrong."

"I don't believe this…" Dean shook his head in mirth. "You're actually Harry. I mean, I was nearly positive and now I know I was right. Who would've thought that Harry Potter was transformed into a girl!" Dean heartily laughed.

"I'm glad you find this amusing, mate, but have a heart."

The smile fell from Dean's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean… I-"

"It's all right. But now that you know, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

"Of course not-"

"Not even Seamus. You know how he is."

Dean laughed. "Right. I'll keep it to myself."

"Thanks."

"So… what's the deal? Why are you with the Slytherins? And how long do you have to be a girl? And what's up with the 'Haley Jones' bit?"

"That was Professor Dumbledore's idea. You have to admit, it'd be a little embarrassing to be trapped in a girl's body. So instead of having people know that I'm really Harry, he decided it would be best to just give me a new identity. Spare me the embarrassment."

"That's nice of him. To weave a whole story around you just to save face… you really _are_ his favorite, aren't you?"

Haley lightly blushed in embarrassment. "I don't know about that… but I know I'm grateful for it. I don't think I'd hear the end of it if people knew who I really was."

"Okay, so I understand why you're like that, but why are you in Slytherin?"

"It's so Professor Snape can call on me whenever progress is made on the antidote. I wasn't happy with the arrangements at first, but I'm getting pretty used to it."

"And so what about the Quidditch match? You were a boy then…"

"It was because of a temporary antidote Snape and I lucked upon. And now you now why I had to run off like I did."

"Ah." Dean nodded in understanding. He paused. "…I don't understand why you couldn't have just told me, Harry. I thought we're friends."

"We are. I guess… I'm just embarrassed by it all. You understand right? I just thought it would be easier to be someone new."

"Well then you should've chosen a person that you could actually pretend to be, not someone from America. That, just there, with Leir and Ernie was terrible. If either has any suspicion of who you really were, that might've been a dead give away."

"It's not like that was my choice." Haley defended. "It was Professor Dumbledore who came up with the American thing. And it's not like I don't know _any_thing. I knew about the torch." Dean just laughed. "Plus, now that you know, you can jump right in and save me whenever need be."

Dean shook his head, but smiled nonetheless. "I swear, Harry. Your life must be one _crazy_ adventure."

Haley smiled. "It sure is."

"So, does anyone else know? Or do I have to be careful around everyone?"

"Well, Ron and Hermione know of course. They were with me when I changed. And two of my friends from Slytherin know, Blaise and Ethan. Oh, and Neville as well-"

"Neville? Neville knows? I'm surprised he didn't let it slip…"

"I'm _grateful_ that he didn't let it slip. Just like I'll be grateful that _you_ don't let it slip. And perhaps I'll make it extra sure that _I_ don't let something _else _slip…" Haley hinted, a sly smile playing across her face.

"What?" The boy looked confused.

"You like Seamus, don't you?"

"_What? _That's crazy! I don't….You don't know… I don't-"

"It seems to me, you really do mate."

"No way! I'm not in love with Seamus." Dean denied.

"Who said anything about love? I only said 'like.'"

"I-err… No! Either way, I don't."

Haley still smiled. "That blush is telling me otherwise."

The boy immediate covered his cheeks with his hands.

"There's no getting around it, Dean. Just admit it already. You're in love with Seamus."

Dean looked timid. "…So… so what if I am?"

"That's brilliant, mate! There's nothing finer than two of my friends in love."

"Wait, _he's_ in love with me?" The boy looked hopeful.

"Well it's not like he's outwardly admitted it to me, but he does seem to be as fond of you as you are of him."

"Yeah right, he's too busy flirting with everyone else to be fond of me."

"But it's not like he does anything, right? That's just who he is. Seamus is just really friendly. That's how he's always been. But at the end of the day, he's always right by your side."

Dean didn't respond.

"I'm not claiming to know for sure what he feels but I do know that I see. And when I see Seamus without you around, he's hardly as happy when you are."

Again, Dean didn't respond. But this time, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "How did you get so insightful?"

Haley shrugged. "Woman's intuition."

Dean burst out in laughter, quickly mirrored by the girl's own mirth.

The secrets between them dispelled, the two friends carried on as Haley felt relief in finding one more person she can truly be herself around. For Haley, this was enough to make the holidays seem just a little bit brighter and that much better.

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

I would like to take this time to thank all of you for reviewing and commenting and speculating. And I encourage you to keep doing so. Yay! And for clarification, cause some people don't seem sure, YES Draco knows it's Harry. He's not slipping, nor is he confused by their similarities, nor is it terrible typos on my part. Draco knows. For how long? We don't know. Or at least you don't. Okay. Dean likes Seamus. If you don't like that notion, what the heck are you doing reading this? And now Dean knows. I've always wanted him to know so that he can fill Harry in on American mumbo jumbo (as if they're a different species!!!). Dean's American, right? I'm sure he's American. Or… someone's American in the books. I know it. And in here, it's Dean. Haha. Oh yeah. And Blaise and Pansy… we shall see how this goes. Ha. Oh and sorry that this is a shorter chapter. I wanted to get this out before I head off to work again.

Next Chapter: CHRISTMAS WITH THE WEASLEYS YAY! I love Gred and Feorge.


	22. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Exchange – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

* * *

Draco was bored. It hardly felt like Christmas morning as no one was home except the house-elves. His week away from school was nothing but a bore, having no one to really talk to. He had already finished all of his assignments so he was left with nothing really to do. His only solace was in knowing that later today, he was allowed to return to Hogwarts. He had finished gathering his things and was once again left with nothing to do. And that's why Draco was currently lying on his couch, staring up the ceiling, twiddling his thumbs all the while still in his pajamas.

The blonde sighed. 'I wonder what Harry's doing…'

The one in question was anything but bored.

Haley, Ron and Ginny all arrived at the Burrow via Floo.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Ron called, looking around the room.

Just then, two identical heads of red popped in from around the corner, each bearing a grin from ear to ear.

"Merry Christmas!" Fred cheered, hugging his younger siblings.

"Oy? Who's this?" George asked as his gaze landed on the raven-haired girl in front of him.

"This is Haley," Ginny said. "Her family doesn't celebrate Christmas so she's spending it with us." At least that's what Haley and Ron made up back at Hogwarts to explain why she was going to the Burrow with them. It seemed to satisfy the youngest Weasley.

"I probably should've olwed first…" Haley frowned.

"Nonsense!" Fred perked, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "We've plenty of room and we'll have plenty of food, too. We thought my dad and my brother Charlie were going to join us this year, but they're stuck in Romania. Apparently, some dragon ate a muggle automobile. Or something of the like." He laughed. "By the way, I'm George."

"Yes, and I'm Fred." George immediately smiled, playing the game he and his twin played so many times before.

"Is that so?" Haley smirked. She was used to these boys by now. It was clear to her who was who.

"Oh, honestly," Ginny frowned. She looked at their guest. "They do this all the time. _That's_ Fred and _that's_ George." She pointed at each boy. "You have to be careful around these two, Haley. They'll put gum in your hair when you're not looking. And whatever you do, don't accept any sort of toffee from them. They're just trying to trick you."

Haley smiled. "Thanks Ginny."

"Oh what's this? A new guest?" Mrs. Weasley's voice could be heard from around the corner. "Let's see, let's see." The elder woman walked into the busy room, wiping her hands on her apron. When she looked up at Haley she looked momentarily confused.

"Mum, this is Haley," Ron introduced. "It's all right if she stays right?"

"Well, of course, but… you're kidding me, right?"

"What are you talking about, Mum?" Ginny asked, perplexed.

"This is supposed to be some joke, right?" Mrs. Weasley said, looking up at Haley.

"I-I don't… I don't understand…"

"Mum, Haley is an exchange student from America," Ginny tried again.

"Oh, nonsense!" Mrs. Weasley laughed. She stopped once she realized no one was laughing with her. "Oh come on. You can put a wig on Harry all you want, but don't you dare think I won't recognize him."

All the teenagers in the room stared at the older woman before all the redheads in the room turned to one brunette.

The room suddenly felt hot. Haley looked at Ron, mentally asking her best friend for help.

"Mum," Ron laughed nervously. "Don't be ridic-"

It was too late.

"Harry!!" Both Fred and George burst out into laughter, both seeming to have agreed with their mother that this girl was in fact Harry Potter.

"Is that really you, mate?" Fred asked in wide-eyed wonder, taking the girl by the shoulders and turning her to face him.

"It's got to be!" George joined in, stepping in behind his twin. "Harry? What are you doing looking like a girl?"

"Harry?" Ginny stared, confused.

Haley tossed one last look of desperation to her friend, but Ron couldn't think of anything to say so he merely shrugged.

"All right, fine." Haley frowned. "Yes it's me."

At this, the twins burst into laughter once more, Ginny continued to stare at Haley in confusion, and Mrs. Weasley smirked, happy that nothing could get by her.

"Harry? What are you doing being a girl?" Fred asked.

"It was a potion gone wrong. Snape is trying to find an antidote for me so this is only temporary. So please, we'll just end it there."

"I never knew how pretty you were, Harry," George teased, twirling a bit of Haley's hair around his fingers. "Fancy a date?"

"Oh enough, already." Mrs. Weasley frowned, shooing the twins away from the girl. "You leave poor Harry alone. He's clearly quite uncomfortable with all this." She turned to the girl standing next to her. "So what happened, deary? Why do all these things seem to happen to you?"

Haley spent the rest of that afternoon explaining the details of her exchange. Ginny seemed a little bummed out that Haley couldn't confide in her sooner, but she understood. Mrs. Weasley just continued giving her surrogate child looks of sympathy and care. The twins on the other hand, despite having been told off by their mother, continued to tease the poor boy trapped in a girl's body. The worst of it came when Mrs. Weasley sent the two out with Ginny to pick up some last minute items for their meal. When they returned, Ginny stormed in through the door, her face as red as her hair.

"Harry, I had nothing to do with this! They snuck it in before I even had a chance to see it."

"What's going on, Ginny?" Haley asked, concerned.

"Fred and George! They-"

The two in question burst through the door, bags of groceries in their arms and grins all across their faces.

"Harry, mate! We picked a little something up for you!" Fred said, slyly.

"Don't you dare give that to Harry!" Ginny frowned. She resembled her mother more and more every year. "You're awful-"

"What's going on?" Ron asked, walking in.

"Ah! Here!" George grabbed something from inside one of his bags. He pulled it out for all to gaze upon.

Upon seeing it, Ron struggled to hold back his laughter, while all the blood seemed to rush to Haley's face. In George's hand was red and white outfit, not for _Santa_ Claus, but instead for _Mrs._ Claus. A _scantily clad_ Mrs. Claus.

"You get that _thing_ away from me," Haley warned.

"Come on, Harry! We bought it just for you!" Fred smiled.

"Yeah, Harry. Where's your Christmas spirit?" George shook the outfit in his hand.

"I'll _show_ you where it is if you don't get that away," she threatened. "You're both terrible."

"We only do it out of love!" The two boys surrounded the girl in a Weasley hug sandwich.

Luckily for Haley, this seemed to be the last of the boys' teasing. Instead, curiosity overcame the pair. Throughout dinner they continued to ask Haley various questions about what it was like being a girl. They wondered about how bras felt, what periods were like and other random female things. When Ginny asked why they just didn't ask her things like that, the two just snorted.

"That's cause you're a _girl_. And our _sister,_ nonetheless. Harry understands, right?"

Haley nodded. She supposed that it would be weird to ask those things to a girl. But if she knew that this girl was actually a boy, something made it seem okay. Life is strange like that.

The whole group sat around their Christmas tree, getting ready to open gifts. The twins were on gift duty, passing the presents to their recipients. Not wanting to waste their purchase, the twins thought it fitting to wear the Mrs. Claus outfit themselves. Fred wore the cleavage-bearing top over his sweater while George wore the hot pants over his own pants. Mrs. Weasley took a moment to wonder where she had gone wrong with those boys. But when she opened a present to reveal a new set of cookware courtesy those same boys, she retracted her thought and smothered her children with kisses.

Haley loved watching the Weasleys during the holidays. Even though Mr. Weasley and Charlie were away and Bill was spending Christmas with the Delacour family, she could see how much this family truly loved each other. It was all she ever wanted. Despite not having this back at her own home with her own family, she knew that one day she'll find someone to start a family with so that they could make their own memories and forge their own bonds as the Weasleys have. She patiently waited for the day she was no longer alone.

With this thought, the image of Draco Malfoy flashed through her brain. She quickly dismissed it and focused on the family in front of her. 'Besides,' she thought. 'Malfoy and I could never start a family. He's got his heart set on some lucky girl and together they'll make beautiful Malfoy babies.' Again, Haley tried to shake her thoughts. She didn't want to be sad right now.

"And this one is for… H?" George read, holding a small package in his hands.

"It must mean Harry," Ginny pointed out.

"What are you talking about? It's clearly marked for Hred," Fred said, matter-of-factly, snatching the gift out of brother's hands.

"Hand it over," Mrs. Weasley said, sternly, pointing in Haley's direction.

"Joking of course, Mum," Fred smiled. "Head's up!" He tossed the package to Haley who caught it with ease.

The parcel was small, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. A small tag simply read "To: H From: D."

'Draco?' Haley pulled the twine off and tore up the brown paper. Underneath was a more elegant, shiny, green wrapping paper with a note attached to it. It read "You made me a cake, so I made this for you. Technically, I didn't make it. I had it made. But my hands are much too delicate for labor… unlike yours." Haley could picture the smirk in these words. "It seemed fitting. Anyway… Merry Christmas. –Draco."

Haley tucked the note away in her pocket before anyone could notice. She pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the box inside. There she saw a necklace. The pendant was a ruby encased in gold. Inside the ruby was the image of a lion rearing up on its hind legs. The markings surrounding the jewel were similar to that of the ring she had given the blonde boy.

'I'll have to ask him about it…' Haley made a mental note.

"What is it?" Ginny asked, crawling over from her spot on the floor to where Haley was sitting.

Haley snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, I-um-"

Ginny peered into the box before Haley could do anything. "Oh wow! That's beautiful! Who's it from, Harry?" The red head looked at the other girl eagerly. She spotted the tag attached to the twine. "Who's D?"

Ron's head snapped in Haley's direction, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"It's ummm… It's from D…De…Dean! Yes, Dean."

"Dean? Dean Thomas?"

"Yeah. There's a famous jeweler that lives in his area and I asked him to have this made for me. He owed me for… helping him." Haley hoped she was getting better at lying.

"Wow. Maybe one day I'll ask him to get something for me. This looks great. Put it on, Harry!"

Haley seemed well aware of Ron's eyes boring down on her. She also noticed that Mrs. Weasley's gaze had turned toward her as well. But Ginny's eagerness won over and Haley pulled the necklace out of the box and slipped it on. It was perfect. She loved it.

"It looks great! I wish someone would send _me_ jewelry," she pouted. Haley could only offer the younger girl a smile as she made her way back to her gifts.

"All right," Mrs. Weasley called for attention. "Ron, Harry, please collect all the wrappings and bring them to the trash. Fred, George, set the table for dessert. And Ginny, dear, come with me. We'll finish off the pies. They should be just about done."

Everyone did as they were told. Haley picked up all the paper and bows strewn about the floor and placed it in a bag that Ron held open for her.

"That's not from Dean, is it? It's really from Malfoy, isn't it?"

"Ron, shush!" Haley frowned. "So what if it is?"

Ron lowered his voice. "He's sending you jewelry now? Harry, if he sends you a ring, I don't think I'm ready to walk you down the aisle just yet!"

Haley just rolled her eyes. "First of all, only girls get walked down the aisle and despite my current form, dear friend, need I remind you that I'm really a boy? And besides. That's never going to happen. I'm never going to marry Draco. He's in love with someone else, remember?"

"Well, all right. But I can't believe he sent you a necklace." Ron leaned over his friend, holding the pendant in his hand to get a good look at it. "And it's a bloody good one, too. Don't show it to 'Mione. She'll be wondering why _I've_ never sent her anything like that."

Haley laughed. "Anyway…I suppose he only did it because of the ring I gave him-"

Ron's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "WHAT?!"

In surprise, Haley quickly pulled Ron outside with the bag of trash in tow, hoping no one heard her friend's outburst. "I thought you knew about that. At least I was sure that Hermione would've mentioned it."

"Well, she didn't! What are you doing buying him rings? How come you never buy _me_ rings?"

Haley dumped the bag into its respective bin. "_A _ring. Singular, as in only one ring," Haley clarified. "It was just a whim… an impulse buy. It didn't mean anything."

Ron looked skeptical. "Next thing you know, you'll be buying houses together…"

Haley just scoffed.

"Harry, mate, I'm just getting used to you liking, possibly loving Malfoy. But you've got to ease up. I don't think my heart can take it much longer with all these surprises and twists and turns. Think of my future children!"

"You needn't worry about that. Like I said, nothing's to come of it. In fact, I'm supposed to be mad at him right now."

"Well good. _That_ I can handle," Ron let out a deep breath. "And next time, mate, if your impulse is telling you to buy a gift for Malfoy, just take a step back and realize that by Malfoy, you really mean your best friend Ron Weasley."

Haley laughed. "All right then. Sounds like a deal."

"Great! Now come on. I'm freezing my arse off!"

The two friends walked back inside, greeted by the sight and smell of Mrs. Weasley's freshly homemade pumpkin pie.

--

"Are you sure you won't stay the night, deary?" Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Thank you, but not this time. I've left some presents in my room that should've been sent out earlier, but it slipped my mind. I should be heading back before it gets _too_ dark." Haley really _really_ hoped her lying skills were getting better. To be honest, despite how much she loved the Weasleys and how much she knew they loved her in return, Haley didn't want to intrude on the rest of their festivities. She knew that they would always embrace her and make her feel like one of the family to which she was grateful, but she felt that now was the time for just the family to be together.

The elder woman just smiled in knowing. She leaned in so that only Haley could hear. "I hope that next time, we get to meet your secret admirer."

Haley blushed. "What?"

Mrs. Weasley's smiled only seemed to grow. "You were smiling. When you read that note in your pocket, you were smiling. I love you, Harry, as one of my own sons and I know quite a few things about _all_ my children. Believe me, I _know_ that kind of smile when I see one. So bring whoever it is that makes you smile like that." Before Haley could say anything in response, Mrs. Weasley pulled the girl into a firm hug. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

Haley smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Weasley."

"Merry Christmas, Harry," Ginny hugged the other girl. "And don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I know it doesn't seem like much, considering how many people already know, but you know what I mean."

"Thanks Ginny. Merry Christmas."

"See you back at school, mate," Ron grinned. "And remember. Send _me_ presents. I like presents."

At this, Haley just laughed. "But Ron, that's not what Christmas is about."

"Who said anything about Christmas? I'm just saying. If ever you have random impulses to buy anything for anyone, I'm around."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The twins took the opportunity to launch themselves at the brunette.

"Byyyyyeeee Harry!" Fred sang.

"You sure you don't want to wear it?" George asked, pointing to the hot pants around his hips. "They're actually quite comfortable."

"Definitely! I mean, look at the lift this top has given me!" Fred cheered, referring to the socks he stuffed in.

Haley laughed again. "Trust me. It looks much better on you two. I'll see you two later. Merry Christmas, Fred. Merry Christmas George." And with that, Haley hopped into the fireplace making her way to Hogsmeade. Behind her, she could here the twins call out.

"But _I'm_ Fred!"

"And _I'm_ George!"

She smiled and shook her head as she prepared for landing.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

How Many of you totally freaked out when you saw there was an update? Be honest! Haha. I think I would freak out cause that can only mean one thing: APOCALYPSE!! I seriously hope not though… eh.

Anyway… Let's pretend (cause I have no idea how it really works) that students are allowed to take two weeks from school for the holidays. But if they decide to stay, they are then allowed to go home whenever for however long during the break. Haha. In my Harry Potter realm that's how it works! And since Dean's not American… let's just pretend he has an uncle there that he visits often. Yes. Haha. I should let you know that I the biggest reason for the little hitch in my updates this time around was the lack of knowing a vital piece of information relating to Draco. But I figured it out now. Hopefully hitches will be minimum cause now I know how the rest of this will pan out. Most, at least.

Thanks for not ditching me! Thanks for your reviews! I love them all. Too bad it's not forum style where I can reply to all of them the way I want. Bah. If you read this far, humor me. Mention the thing I asked you to mention before. Anywhere. It doesn't even have to make sense. Heh. I just wanna know who's paying attention.

THIS IS A SHORT CHAPTER!! Shucks.


	23. To Protect and To Cherish

The Exchange – To Protect and To Cherish

* * *

Haley mentally berated herself for not taking some pie with her. So as soon as she got back to Hogwarts, she immediately headed over to the owlery. Making sure to give Hedwig a special owl treat today, she sent a note to Ron that simply read, "Presents for Pie." She was sure that he would know what that meant. Smiling, Haley headed for the exit when she collided with someone trying to get in.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Haley apologized, taking a step backwards.

"Quite all right, Haley. But I really think we should stop meeting this way."

Haley looked up and smiled when she saw Leir. "Hello, Leir. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too. Actually, I was just about to sent something to you," he said, pointing to the box in his hands. "Here."

Haley took the gift he offered. "Leir, you didn't have to."

"Well, I know. But, I don't have that many friends here, you know. And I figured it's just a way for me to say 'Thanks for being my friend.'" Leir rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh geez. That was cheesy wasn't it? That sounded really cheesy."

Haley laughed. "It didn't sound cheesy at all. Or at least not _that_ much."

Leir smiled. "Gee, thanks."

"Well now I feel bad. I didn't get anything for you." The girl frowned.

"Oh don't worry about it. This was last minute. I wasn't sure if you would be coming back tonight since you were gone all day, so I was just going to send this to you."

"Well, thank you." Haley started pulling at the wrapping paper.

"Oh wait!" Leir smiled, stopping Haley by putting his hands over hers. "Don't open it in front of me. It's awkward. Cause what if you don't like it, you know?" He laughed, quickly pulling his hands away.

"I'm sure I'll like it," Haley tried.

"That's nice of you. But still…"

"All right. I'll open it later. In the mean time, I'll escort you back inside."

"All right then. Sounds good to me."

The two made their way down from the owlery back to the school.

"So I thought you'd be with your family tonight."

"Well, my Mum didn't think that would be wise. My dad's ill. The rest of my siblings are off with their own families so really it would be just my parents and me. I wouldn't have minded, but my mum didn't want me to catch what my dad's got."

"Oh. You seem disappointed."

"I guess I kind of am. I mean, I love Christmas and I love my family even if they do forget me sometimes."

"They forget you?"

"Yeah. Remember, I have six older brothers and sisters. When there's so many it's hard to stand out. I've gotten used to it though. Plus, the New Year is just a week away. I'm sure my dad will be better by then. That's when I'll probably go home."

"That's good then."

"Well this is where I turn."

The two friends stopped.

"I guess… Merry Christmas Leir. Thanks again for this. Whatever it is," Haley smiled.

"You're welcome. I hope you have a good night, Haley."

"Good night."

Leir gave one final wave before turning to leave.

Haley headed off in the opposite direction towards the dungeons. Along the way, she pulled open the gift she'd received from the Hufflepuff. Inside was a glass ball, no larger than a Remembrall. A swirl of smoke danced inside, truly entrancing the girl. 'Wow… I wonder what its for though…'

Haley was still staring at the ball in her hand as she entered the Slytherin common room.

"Haley."

The girl's head snapped in attention towards the sound of the voice. "Malfoy."

Draco had been sitting by the sofa nearest his room. When Haley came in, he abruptly stood, but he didn't move toward her. He wanted to test the waters first. He inwardly flinched at the sound of his family name. "How… how are you?"

"I'm fine." Her response was curt without her meaning to be. She had forgotten that he was returning today. It was weird to see him standing there. The boy that she loved, but knew she couldn't have was staring at her with questioning eyes.

To Draco, it was pretty clear to him that she was still mad. But he still tried. "Did you get my gift?"

Haley didn't respond right away. She wasn't ready to see him yet. A million emotions were coursing through her veins. She was still mad at him for taking Pansy's side when it was Pansy who cast the first spell. She was jealous of the one that he was in love with. She was hurt knowing that it wasn't her. She was also happy to see him for she did miss him. But that only served to make her mad at herself. She didn't want to feel these things for him because it only served to hurt her. Unrequited love was the knife that was currently stabbing her heart.

The necklace suddenly felt heavy.

Haley straightened up. "I'm really tired right now, Mal-"

"Draco!" His voice was desperate.

Haley flinched slightly at the sudden outburst, but she quickly regained herself. She frowned at the boy, refusing to say anymore.

"Haley, please," Draco's eyes were sad and pleading. He took a step forward, but seemingly thought against it and stepped back. "I know you're still mad, but please let me explain."

Haley still didn't say anything, but she didn't move either. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"You're dear to me, Haley, you know that. And I know I screwed up by not taking your side when Parkinson clearly was at fault, but you have to understand that it's not because she means more to me or anything like that. I mean, I've known her quite some time, yeah, but she's no you." Draco took that step forward, but still kept his distance. "It's just…the things she was saying took me by surprise. And the next thing I knew, she had whipped out her wand and all I could think of was that she was going to get hurt. I've seen you in Defense class. I know you're exceptionally talented at casting those types of spells. And you know what's Pansy's best subject? Divination! And as annoying as she was that evening, that didn't mean I wanted to see her sent to the Hospital Wing which I knew you were very well capable of."

At this, Haley scoffed and smiled to herself.

Draco exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I know it seemed like I was taking her side, but that's not how I meant it to be. So _please_ stop being mad at me. I just want my friend back. Didn't you miss me at _all_ while I was gone?"

Haley let out a heavy sigh. She walked over to Draco, stopping only when they were toe to toe, all the while watching him as he watched her with wondering eyes. Finally, without a word, Haley dipped her head looking at her feet and leaned against Draco so that her forehead rested against his chest. Something about this minor contact made her seem to unwind, despite all that was running through her head.

This armless embrace was enough to put Draco at ease. At the very least, he knew that she didn't hate him.

"For a Head Boy, you really are an idiot…" she murmured.

"Only when I'm around you…"

Something about this made her heart flutter. Haley sighed and wrapped her arms around the boy in front of her, and almost immediately felt his arms reciprocate the action. 'So much for letting him go… I guess… while I have this time with him… I'll _let _myself love him…' She turned her head and stared off into the distance while listening to Draco's heart beating in his chest. "I hate you, you know… I really, really hate you…"

She felt him rest his head against hers. "I know."

"You made me feel like I did something wrong just by being with you. I don't like that feeling…" The arms around her grew tighter. "We've only got this time together, so stop screwing it up."

Draco smiled. "I'll do my best." He was solemn for a moment. "So… _did_ you miss me?"

Haley could literally feel the smirk that was donning the Head Boy's face. She pulled out of the embrace and crossed her arms over her chest. "Actually, no. My week without you was quite the breath of fresh air. I'd say it was the best week of my life."

"Oh, _really_. And what, pray tell, was so great about this week?"

"Well first off, there're no classes. Second, I didn't have to worry about you bothering me all the time. And third, Pansy and I are on good terms now."

Draco arched an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest. "What?"

"Yes, it's true. Pansy and I had some sort of breakthrough."

"How on Earth did _that_ happen? When I left, you were ready to hex her into oblivion."

"That's true… but we found something we have in common."

"And what would that be?"

"We're both awfully fond of the number nine." With that, Haley plopped down on the nearest sofa and crossed her ankles on the table in front of her.

"What? That doesn't even make sense." The blonde sat down on the table so that he was facing his friend.

"But it makes sense to me and Pansy and that's all that matters. Anyway, you're in no position to question me. In fact, I think you've got a lot of sucking up to do. Just because I don't despise you doesn't mean you're in the clear. I'm still a little miffed, remember?"

Draco scooted closer towards the girl. "And what exactly does it take to get back on your good side?"

"Ummm… money."

"Money?"

"Well yeah, considering that's all you're good for."

"What about my wit? I thought you were in love with my wit."

"I thought so too, but luckily I came to my senses."

"You're so cruel to me, Jones."

"Oh don't look at me with those mopey eyes." Haley dropped her feet back onto the floor. "Maybe you should just go back home for the remainder of the break."

"You don't really want that."

"Maybe I do. What were you and Ethan fighting about? Maybe I can spark that same flame right now."

"He ruined my cake."

Haley blinked. She didn't expect that. "What?"

"The cake you made for me. Because he attacked me, he made me crush it. So I hit him back."

"Was that all? I can make you another cake, Draco. It wasn't that hard. There was no need to get upset over it."

"That wasn't the point. I was really fond of the cake."

"So just hop on down to the kitchens. It's the same recipe."

"I was fond of it because _you_ made it for _me_."

"Oh." Haley blushed. "It's just a cake, Draco…"

"It was _my_ cake."

"…You sound just like a child sometimes," she replied quietly. "So selfish and spoiled…"

"I like to think of it as determined and persistent. I like to get what I want," Draco countered matter-of-factly.

"How's that working out for you?"

"It's been splendid for the most part… There's just one thing that doesn't seem to be in my reach… No matter how hard I try I just can't…"

For some reason, all she could think of was how Draco's eyes seemed so hypnotizing right now. "And what would that be?"

Draco slowly smiled. He sat back, resting his weight on his arms behind him. "It doesn't matter. At least, not right now." He glimpsed at Haley's hands. "What's that?"

Haley snapped out of what seemed to be a sort of trance and looked at her hands almost forgetting what was in them. "Oh. It's a gift."

"From who?"

"A friend."

"Named?"

Haley smiled. "It doesn't matter. At least, not right now."

At this, Draco simply rolled his eyes. "It looks familiar. What is it?"

"You know, I have no idea." She raised the ball to take a good look at it. "It's pretty. It's like the smoke inside is dancing."

"May I?" Draco held out his left hand.

"Sure." Haley handed over the ball.

As soon as he came into contact with it, Draco flinched, retracting his hand so that the ball fell into Haley's lap. "Ah!" He was shaking his hand while his face contorted in discomfort.

"What happened?" The girl frowned, taking the ball in one hand and taking Draco's hand in the other. It was red where he had touched it.

"It shocked me," Draco grimaced. "Where did you get that?"

"I told you, it was a gift from a friend. I don't get it, it's perfectly fine when I touch it." She held the ball up. It was cold to the touch, but it certainly wasn't shocking her. She looked back up at Draco who was still frowning at his hand. "Come on, Draco. It couldn't have been that bad. The red's already going away. Oh wait. I forgot. You're a pansy."

"Couldn't you at least _feign_ sympathy for me?"

"Fine, fine." Before she realized what she was doing, Haley leaned over Draco's hand and kissed offended area. When she looked up at Draco he had his trademark smirk on his face.

"Jones, you realize, you just kissed me."

Haley scoffed and tossed Draco's hand aside. "I kissed your _hand_, you git."

"In some cultures, that's a sign of worship."

"Bugger off." The girl slumped in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest again. She glared at the boy in front of her.

"I'm just kidding, Jones." Draco took up one of Haley's hands and lightly kissed it. "There. Now we're even."

Again, Haley couldn't help the blush that crept up her face.

"Jones, you're blushing."

Quickly, she looked away from teasing eyes. "_Bugger off_."

Draco simply smiled. That's when he noticed the chain around her neck. He reached for it, pulling the pendant out from under Haley's sweater.

Startled, Haley could only respond with a pathetic, "Hey!"

"So you _did_ get it." He grinned, circling the pendant with his thumb.

Haley half-heartedly swatted away Draco's hand. "Yes I did. Thank you," she replied, curtly.

"Do you like it?"

Haley dropped her arms to her sides. "Yes. Yes I do." This was met with another one of Draco's charming smiles. "Actually, I wanted to ask you about it."

"Go on then."

Haley picked up the pendant and studied it. "Did you really have it _made_?"

"Yes I did. Specially for you."

This time, Haley ignored her blush as she stared at the pendant, but she couldn't ignore Draco's light chuckle. "So why this? What made you design it like this?"

"Well… you had mentioned that your birthday is in July."

"Did I?"

"Yes you did. And July's birthstone is the ruby. And when I saw the gem, the only casing that did it justice was the gold one. And when I finally took a look at what I had done, I figured it would only make sense to top it all off with a lion. I thought you might have a laugh because I certainly did. Plus, you're similar to a lion. You're both loud." Draco merely laughed as he dodged the swipe of the pillow, courtesy Haley.

"Why do I put up with you?" She shook her head, solemnly.

"It's cause you _adore_ me."

Haley didn't bother to respond beyond a scoff. "_Anyway_… what about the markings? Do they mean anything?"

Draco held up his right hand, showing Haley the markings on his ring. "The last part's the same. I did some research and changed the first part. Mine says 'Protect the ones closest to your heart' and yours says '_Cherish_ the ones closest to your heart.'"

Haley smiled at the words. The necklace was now dearer to her than it had been a minute before. "That's really nice, Draco…"

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it." Haley let her ball fall into her lap as she reached over and pulled Draco into an embrace. "Thank you."

Draco readily and willingly returned the embrace. "It was nothing…"

Haley pulled away. "You're lucky. This was a brilliant bribe to get on my good side. You're well on your way to moving from 'Incorrigible Prat' to 'Tolerable Git.'" She smiled at her friend.

"As long as you don't hate me, I'm happy." He pulled her back into a hug, much to her surprise. "Haley?" His voice was quiet. "…If I promise to protect you always… will you promise to cherish me always…?"

Haley's heart felt aflutter once more. But she was well aware of a pain that struck her as well. 'He's asking Haley… not Harry…' This fact alone hurt her more than anything she had felt in her young life. She loved him as Haley _and_ Harry. 'But he's not asking both…' She sighed.

"Haley?"

She easily sensed the quiet worry in the way he said her alias. She reminded herself of what her heart had already decided. 'While I'm with him… I'll _let_ myself love him…' She tightened her hold, breathing in all that was Draco. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"…I promise."

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Another short chapter, but I don't think you'll mind this time. I wanted to get something out before I head out to work. In fact, I'm LATE!! But I don't think you'll care cause if I get fired, that means I have more time to write. Haha.

This chapter makes my own heart flutter. Hahaha. Oh and hooray for Arynn Octavia for understanding what I meant! And yay for reviews. I thrive off of reviews. Yes I do. So thanks for reviewing and commenting and such. YOU ARE AWESOME! Especially those of you who've stuck around since the beginning. Heh. You deserve awards!!


	24. The Turning Point

The Exchange – The Turning Point

* * *

The next day found Haley in her room, staring at the canopy above her bed. Her mind was reeling. The necklace she wore felt warm against her skin as she rolled the smoky ball from hand to hand across her belly. She still didn't know what it did, but it was a subconscious activity. It kept her hands busy while her mind tried to unravel all the thoughts that had collided with one another.

'Why couldn't he be this nice from the beginning? Then maybe these past seven years wouldn't have been wasted on stupid bickering…'

She thought about the promise she had made Draco. Each time she did, it only served to tear her mind in two. It was as if her inner Haley and Harry were clashing with one another. In one hand, Haley was happy that she was growing so close to Draco. Despite all the taunting and teasing, which was mostly done in jest anyway, she really did enjoy his company. And the promise they shared made part of her happy because it meant that Draco felt a deeper connection with her. It filled her with a sense of hope that maybe they could have something more. But in the other hand, she just felt like crying. The fact that she had to be Haley to be so close to him felt like it was killing her insides. She wanted to know what was so wrong about being Harry Potter that Draco found him a rival. It made her wonder if he could ever care for Harry the way he seemed to care for Haley. But every time she considered their history, all signs pointed in doubtful directions. So though she might cherish him always no matter what, she wasn't so sure that once things change, he'd protect her always. This was the basis of her inner turmoil.

Haley sighed, pausing her movements. She closed her eyes. 'This transformation is the best and worst thing that's happened to me…'

After she had made her promise to Draco, exhaustion overcame the girl, what with the roller coaster of emotions she had been through. Add that to the antics of the Weasleys and Haley was really feeling that she would pass out at any moment. They said their good nights, bid each other a Merry Christmas and agreed to have their long-awaited dinner the next evening.

But now, in the early traces of the afternoon, Haley found herself glued to her bed. She briefly wondered where Draco was. It was well into the morning, nearing noon even, and she half-expected him to come knocking on her door complaining about some random event by now. It was usually Draco who sought Haley's company, usually to her chagrin, but now that her door remained silent, she was disappointed.

Haley rolled the ball from one hand to another once more. 'Where are you, Draco?'

On the other side of the wall, in his own dorm, was the boy in question. He, too, was lying in bed staring at his canopy, resting his head on his arms. His head was almost as muddled as the head of the one he was thinking about.

'Harry…' Draco sighed. He wondered what the boy turned girl was doing. 'He's probably frolicking about with one of his many friends.' His lip curled slightly at the thought. 'What does he need so many friends for? Two or three are good enough.' But part of the reason Draco was so fond of Harry was his kindness to nearly all he came across. Sure it was kind of annoying at times, but Harry just wouldn't be the same if he weren't.

Draco was surprised by how well he and Harry had been getting along. Even before he realized that it was really him, Harry and Draco's relationship had gone down a very unexpected path. Draco had grown fonder and fonder of the Boy-Who-Lived now that they had this chance to spend so much time with one another. He loved all the time he got to spend with Harry. In fact, Draco even searched for excuses just to spend time with him. Draco thought that maybe if he could show Harry how things _could_ be between them, Harry might not reject the idea. But the one thing that Draco's mind was wrestling with was what would happen between them when Harry changed back.

He had figured out that Harry's sudden disappearance had something to do with the sudden emergence of this new girl Haley Jones. Since the very beginning, Draco sensed a sort of familiarity emanating from the girl, but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't until the kiss between Haley and Blaise that the idea struck him. The anger and jealousy that he felt in seeing the two together like that was the exact same way he felt when he saw Harry so chummy with someone else. Surprised by his reaction to what he had witnessed, Draco thought hard about what it was about this girl that he was so drawn to. At the time, nothing, and especially no _one_ could provoke such a reaction from him except Harry Potter. And once Draco started thinking about Harry, about his eyes and his smile, about the way that he laughed and the way he glowered, things just clicked. Haley _was_ Harry. She just had to be.

At the time, Draco's mind was spinning at the idea. Like putting together pieces of a puzzle, Draco came up with the most reasonable conclusion as to what must have happened to put Harry in his current position. He had been worried about Harry the day they created the _Transpartium_ potion. He had heard from various rumors that the Gryffindor didn't show up for his next class. This concerned Draco. And then, all of a sudden, an exchange between two schools had taken place. In Harry's place was Haley Jones.

From there, everything began to make sense. Draco finally realized that the whole time he thought he was befriending this new girl, he was actually befriending the boy he so cherished. However, Draco was a little torn. This meant that his new friend had been lying to him this whole time. He wondered what else had been a lie. But that worry quickly diminished that night. Knowing that it was really Harry who had launched that pillow at him, his heart was overwhelmed with warmth. Be it truth or a lie, it was still Harry he was making the connection with. This fact alone was enough to satiate Draco. He was content in knowing that the person he was growing so close to, be it real or not, was really Harry. At least that's what he thought at first.

Lightning struck, bursting Draco's happy little bubble. The news of Harry's return for the Quidditch Match only meant one thing to Draco; that Professor Snape was getting close to finding the antidote to the potion that forced the Golden Boy in his current predicament. That fact could only mean that Draco's time with Harry was soon coming to an end. If Harry went back, then things might not be the same. Draco feared that they would simply revert to their previous relationship of detest. He feared that if Harry didn't feel even a fraction as close to Draco as Draco did to Harry, that that would be then end of it. He had said it to Harry; that they two were seen as enemies. He was afraid that the image was all that defined Malfoy and Potter, despite all that had happened in this time. If this was the case, then there was no hope in a lasting friendship. Their little courtship would be a closed chapter in their lives. It certainly put a dark cloud over his head.

It wasn't fair. It was like life was teasing him. But Draco was determined to hang on to what they shared. He vowed to try his damndest to show Harry how things might be better if they were no longer enemies. He wanted Harry to want to stay with him even if it meant he would stay as Haley. Draco thought he could be content being with Haley because it was really Harry deep down. But his plan came crashing down at Pansy's words.

She was right. Draco _couldn't _like Haley because Draco was already in love with Harry. He wasn't in love with the connection they had shared during Harry's time with the Slytherins. No. Draco loved Harry long before then. He loved everything about Harry. Even though being with Haley would make more sense to the rest of the world, considering she was not only a girl but also a _Slytherin_ girl, Draco could care less. Those weren't the things he fell in love with. Those weren't the things that had drawn him to Harry in the first place. Draco wanted Harry, not Haley.

The Head Boy thought hard during his time at home. He now had another goal in mind. He had to give Harry a reason to want to stay with Draco once he changed back. He had to prove to Harry that he could be a good person. Then perhaps they could stay friends beyond this short exchange. And in the end, that's what Draco yearned for the most. As long as Harry was by his side, Draco was content. He didn't need to be loved back. He just wanted to be accepted. He wanted Harry to cherish him and to no longer think of him as a rival.

But not knowing what was going through Harry's head made things hard for Draco, who usually got whatever he wanted. Doubt was Draco's biggest combatant.

'From the outside, things look good. He and I are good friends. By my standards, we're more than just good friends. But that doesn't mean that's what _he's_ feeling… What if he's this close to all his friends?' Another spike of jealousy shot through the blonde. 'What more can I do? I want to keep him…'

Draco rolled over onto his side. 'It is amusing, though, how hard Blaise is trying. It's obvious he knows Haley's true identity as well… I wonder who else knows…' Draco thought back to the day before the Quidditch match.

Blaise had noticed Draco's foul mood. He had made the assumption that the news of Harry Potter's return only made Draco pine of Harry evermore. This was clear to the grey-eyed boy. However, Blaise was only partially correct. Draco was mostly worried about the dwindling amount of time he had left to share with Harry. But Blaise was insisting that Draco try to focus on what was in front of him. He insisted that Haley was good for him and that Draco should stop wasting away, longing for Harry, when there was good that could come from loving Haley. This surprised Draco, especially since Blaise never pushed Draco when it came to Harry. Blaise knew that Draco only had eyes for Harry and nothing it seemed would ever change that fact. So Blaise never fought it. Then suddenly, he's adamant about Haley? It was all very suspicious indeed. Like attaching another piece to the puzzle, Draco then realized that Blaise knew. But did Harry know that Blaise knew?

'Either way, I have to do this on my own,' Draco reasoned. 'Blaise gets too passionate about these things… he demands results, be them good or bad. But I … I only want the good. My only wish is to be with Harry, always…'

Draco let out a deep, strained sigh. 'I wish I knew what he was feeling… This would all be much easier if I just knew how he felt…'

It seemed that both Haley and Draco were struggling with the same problem. They both frowned. 'How do you tell the person who's suppose to be your enemy that you love them?'

A single wall separated the two.

--

Dinner was slightly awkward as both Haley's and Draco's minds were still riddled with thoughts. But Haley was determined to make this a good night. Of course she was. She didn't think there would be any other dinners like it after this. Not unless by some miracle Draco suddenly confessed his undying love, not for Haley Jones, but for Harry Potter… but what was the likelihood of that happening?

They had ordered their food some time ago, waiting patiently in idle chitchat for their items to arrive. Despite what she said in the heat of her victory, Haley opted for one steak, not two.

"So where were you this morning? I didn't see you at all," Haley commented, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.

Draco smirked. "Why? Did you miss me?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

The blonde just smiled. "I was in my room for the most part."

"Massaging your ego, probably…" Haley muttered.

"Why Haley, are you picturing me massaging myself?"

Haley gasped, realizing what he was insinuating. "That's not what I meant!"

"I must say, you're quite bold," he teased.

The girl just shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

"But you adore me, nonetheless."

At this, Haley couldn't help but smile.

"See? I'm right."

Haley scoffed, still with a smile on her face. "You are most certainly wrong. I despise you."

Draco didn't respond, except for a light chuckle. Slowly, the smile on his face receded. "Haley, can I ask you something serious?"

"I don't know. _Can_ you?" The light-hearted, but stern expression he had was enough to make Haley shift gears. She sat up in her seat. "All right. Go on, then."

"I was just wondering… what happens after this?"

"Well… we go back to Hogwarts, I murder you in a game of Wizard's Chess, we share a box of Bertie Botts and then we go our separate ways until tomorrow when we can torment each other some more."

Draco laughed. "What makes you think you can beat me at Wizard's Chess?"

"I've myself a wonderful teacher."

"Oh, you mean the Wea- I mean, Weasley? I suppose he _is_ good."

"He's brilliant!"

"But that's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh. What is it then?"

"When you go back… what happens then?"

Haley paused. How was she supposed to know that happens then? "I guess… I go back… we write letters back and forth promising to visit one another and one day eventually follow through with those promises."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy the boy. "Do… do you think things will change between us once you're gone?"

Again, Haley paused as she searched for her answer. "I want to say no but… if I'm truly being honest with myself, I think probably yes."

Draco was solemn. "…Why do you think that?"

His eyes told her he wanted a straight answer. She didn't want to think about these things, though. This was supposed to be her victory dinner. And yet, she still couldn't deny him her answer.

"I think… it's different when you see a person every day compared to when you see them every so often. Change the way things are and more change is bound to follow."

The air fell silent and heavy between them. This obviously wasn't the answer he was looking for, but Haley had to be honest. Once she changes back, things won't be the same. Not only will she see less of Draco, she might not even be able to _speak_ to Draco. Or at least not in the same way that they have during her time with him. She was sure of it. And though it broke her heart to realize it, it was what it was.

Draco seemed livid. Grey eyes turned into steel. "Is that so?"

"It's what I really think."

"So what then? Your promise to me was just hollow words? 'I'll just agree so I can shut him up?'"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then how can you say something like that after you promise to cherish someone always?"

"I was just being honest!"

"You're being irrational."

"No, Draco. I think _you're_ the one that's being irrational. I _will_ cherish you as I will always cherish this time I've spent with you. But you can't honestly believe that things can remain the same between you and I when circumstances pull us in different directions."

"I would've found a way to make it work! I'd want us to go the same path!"

"Excuse me."

Haley and Draco both snapped their heads in the direction of the third voice.

"Might I ask that you please keep it down? The other guests are concerned," said the Maitre d'.

"Yes. Sorry," Haley said, slightly embarrassed.

Draco just looked away, folding his arms across his chest.

As the restaurant employee walked away, Haley leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Draco, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing." His reply was sharp and bitter.

"Draco, come on."

His head snapped in her direction. "You're not even going to try?"

Haley paused for a third time. "I honestly don't know _what's_ going to happen when I leave. I've made good friends and I want to keep in touch with all of them. And I will try my best to, but I can't guarantee that things will be the same then as they are now. I'd like them to be, but… I just can't know." Haley covered her face in her hands. This was getting to be too much. "Why are you doing this, Draco?" She wasn't sure she was really saying this to the boy sitting across from her or if she meant to ask it of herself.

And it was like a switch was flipped within Draco's mind. His eyes softened and he scooted his chair closer to his friend's so that he could take her hands in his. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a good night and I'm ruining it, aren't I?"

Still not looking at him, Haley nodded.

"I'm sorry." Draco tried to catch Haley's eyes, but she refused to look at him.

"You said you'd try your best. This doesn't seem like it's your best," she said quietly.

"What?"

Finally, Haley looked Draco in the eye. This time, it was the emeralds that were sad. "You said that'd you try your best to stop screwing things up. That was less than twenty-four hours ago and you're already picking a fight with me."

Draco squeezed the hands in his. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot."

"A_ big_ one."

"Yes. A _big_ one. I'll stop. I just… I just wanted to know what you were thinking, that's all."

"Well, that's the thing, Draco. I don't want to think about these things. At least not right now. I just want to enjoy the time I have left with you. _Please_."

Draco nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. From now on, no more fights. I hate fighting with you."

"Me too. So just shut up and agree that I'm always right."

Draco had to laugh. "_Always_?"

"All right, all right. Most of the time, then."

Draco smiled, making Haley smile right back. He released her hands and scooted back to his original spot.

Haley slumped in her seat. "I swear, Draco… The things you put me through…"

"It's because you _adore_ me."

She smiled again, shaking her head. 'You have no idea…'

--

Haley and Draco entered the common room that evening with a light and airy atmosphere about them. Haley was currently laughing at something Draco had said and in turn, Draco watched Haley with mirth in his eyes. The sight had happiness and cheer written all over it. It made Ethan Maxwell feel sick to his stomach.

Once she overcame her laughter, Haley glimpsed around the room. She quickly spotted Blaise over by one of the fireplaces. The boy was watching them with amusement in his eyes. However, she then spotted the other set of eyes that were watching her as well. Unlike Blaise, Ethan did not look happy at all. She saw the boy look away and shake his head. He then stood abruptly and began to walk away.

Haley frowned. "Wait! Ethan!"

The hazel-eyed boy glimpsed at the girl, but he didn't stop as he made his way out of the common room.

Haley was about to follow him when she felt a hand around her wrist. "Draco, what are you doing?"

"Forget him."

She snatched her wrist back from him. "He's my friend."

"Well then maybe you should reconsider that relationship," he drawled.

Haley shook her head in annoyance. "Though you may treat your relationships so lackadaisically, that doesn't mean I do. And because I don't want to fight with you anymore tonight, I'll say thank you for the dinner. I hope you have a good night."

"Haley, don't-"

"I said, '_Good night,_' Draco."

Draco didn't respond, but Haley was already halfway out the door anyway. She instantly headed towards the photo lab, almost positive that that's where Ethan was headed. Haley felt a sort of obligation to her friend to clarify some things. He had been loyal to her throughout so it was only right that she went after him. When she finally arrived at the portrait of a man painting a portrait, she frowned. "How the hell am I supposed to get in? What was that password again?"

Haley bit her lip. "Obscura?" Wrong. "Viewfinder?" Wrong again. "…Parsnip?" Not even close.

The girl rolled her eyes and pounded on the portrait, much to the portrait's chagrin. She didn't care. "Ethan! If you can hear me, let me in! I want to talk to you!" There was no response. 'Maybe he didn't even come here…' She shook her head. "No… he _must_ have. Ethan?! Eeeettthhhhaaaannn!!"

The portrait swung open, revealing a very disgruntled Slytherin. "What?" He snapped.

"We need to talk."

"Do we?" He cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you'd be too busy playing lovey-dovey with Drakie-Wakie."

Haley frowned. "First of all, it's _Pansy_ who says that. If I ever say that as term of endearment, I give you full permission to _Stupefy_ me."

This didn't seem to lighten Ethan's mood.

"Look," Haley tried. "You're clearly upset. And I don't want you upset with me."

Ethan snatched Haley's hand and pulled her into the lab, much to the latter's surprise. He sat her down at one of the tables and bent down to loom over her. It made her feel like a child being lectured.

"What are you trying to pull, Harry? I guarantee you, things can't possibly turn out well if Draco finds that you've been lying to him this whole time. And yet, you still pursue him!"

"I didn't _pursue_ him," she growled. "Look, I'm sorry that I don't feel the same way for you that you do for me, but I do value your friendship."

"Yeah, only because I'm keeping your secret."

"If that's what you honestly think, then you deserve to be alone. You and I were friends long before I knew you knew. I defend our friendship when others doubt it."

Ethan was silent.

"You can act jealous all you want, but that doesn't change what I truly feel."

"So you're finally admitting it, then?"

"Admitting what?"

"That you're in love with Draco!"

Haley flinched. The bitterness in his tone stung. She did her best to remain calm. "So what if I am?"

"Harry! Come on! Do you not remember what he's like when you're you? What do you think is going to happen when you go back? Do you think you'll be able to stay friends? That maybe your history with one another meant _nothing_? Be reasonable!" He slammed his fist on the table. "_Nothing_ can come of this as long as you're you and he's him!"

"_Don't you think I know that?!_" Haley's voice was strained. Everything Ethan had said was the epitome of every little doubt she had in her mind. His words were beginning to hurt. She fought the tears that were threatening to break through. "I want to give him up. In fact, I even planned to. But you don't understand what it's like for me!" She swatted away the tear that fell. "This whole time I thought Draco was just a spoiled brat and then, by some twisted strain of events, I get to see what he's really like. And it turns out he's actually a person I _want_ to be around. Someone I _want_ to spend time with. But I can't because I'm Harry and he's Draco! So why can't I have now? What's wrong with being selfish for now, just so I can be with the one I lo-" She bit back her words, not wanting to say them out loud just yet. She sighed. By this point, her tears gave way. "Why can't I spend as much time with him now while I can, knowing that I can't spend time with him later?"

"Harry…" Ethan straightened up and looked at the ceiling above him. This time his voice was calm and filled with sympathy. "I'm not just saying this out of spite or jealousy. I mean, yeah it sucks seeing you together like that and of course I'm jealous, but I get it. Though I hate to admit it, I get it. _Draco's_ the one you care most for. But I'm saying this as your friend, with your best interests in mind. You'll only hurt yourself even more the more you get attached to him. You're upset now, but how do think it will feel when it actually happens? You need to move along. For your own sake."

"It's not that easy…"

"But _try _Harry. You have to. I'm not saying you have to love me. I mean, it would be ideal but you've made it quite clear the unlikelihood of that happening. But seriously, Harry," he took her hands in his. "As a friend to a friend, I don't want to see what'll happen if he breaks your heart. Don't give him that chance to."

"…I know…I know…" She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She pulled her hands away from Ethan's, only to reach up and pull him into a hug. She needed some comfort right now and Ethan's friendship was the biggest source of comfort she could have asked for.

The night had been about what would happen next. Despite what she thought might happen, there was no way of knowing what _would_ happen. Haley was even more torn now than she had been that morning. She sighed. Regardless of all that had taken place between her and Draco, there was only one outcome Haley could see. She knew that it was inevitable. She would have to leave Draco, whether they were on good terms or not. The moment Haley goes back to being Harry, she would have to leave him. And from there, things were sure to change. Haley knew what had to be done. "Okay…" she said quietly. "There's only one person who can help me through this… She's been through it herself…"

"What? Who?"

Haley pulled away from Ethan and looked up at him. "Pansy. She's the only one who knows what it's like to give him up. She's the only one who can help me now."

The girl in question wasn't too far away. She had seen the scene in the common room. She saw how Ethan had stormed off in a tizzy, and she saw how the painfully loyal Haley followed her friend. But Pansy was concerned for her new ally. She knew what Ethan was capable of. She knew what he had done to Draco. And she wasn't going to let it happen to Haley. So she followed them.

She had heard Haley try and fail in finding the correct password. She saw Ethan come out from behind the portrait. She heard what Haley said about Pansy's former nickname for Draco, and although she felt like sneering at that point, she simply pushed the emotion aside. She even felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw Ethan grab Haley's wrist. She rushed from her hiding spot after them, afraid what Ethan was going to do. But the thing that made her mind stagger was what had happened next.

'He called her 'Harry'…' Pansy felt as if she were frozen to the spot. She caught what Ethan had said before their words were muffled behind the portrait that had soon closed after them. But the name lingered through the air, seemingly echoing throughout Pansy's ears. There was no denying it. Ethan had called her Harry.

"Haley is actually… Harry?" The idea was staggering.

Muffled yells were emitted from behind the portrait. Once they grew quiet, Pansy knew she had to go or else face them and she certainly wasn't ready for that. The girl retreated back to the Slytherin dorms. She had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

OMG. I only got three hours of sleep because of this one. I suffered multiple mosquito bites and now I'm in danger of being late to work once more! But I just couldn't stop! It's a crazy obsession!! BAH!

Anyway… yes. This is a turning point. Heavy thinking ensued. And we finally see what Draco's been seeing this whole time. But the one question remains… did Haley ever get her pie?! Haha. No, not really. The REAL big question: What's going to happen next? Only time (and my future updates) will tell.

THANKS FOR REVIEWING! I love them all. Please continue reviewing and I'll continue typing!! Actually, no. I'd continue nonetheless! You can't stop me! Muahahaha!


	25. Some Much Needed Advice

The Exchange – Some Much Needed Advice

* * *

Draco was visibly upset. He had a lot on his mind. For one, last night, the one that he loved took off with the boy he hated. He had waited for them to come back, but neither glanced in his direction once they returned. That couldn't be good. Two, the one that he loved didn't exactly believe that their friendship could withstand the ever-looming transformation back into normalcy. This was also bad. That meant that Draco was losing the battle to win over Harry's heart, and Draco _hated_ to lose. He knew that things with Harry were moving along nicely, but if Harry didn't feel like he could be Draco's friend once he transformed back into himself, then all of Draco's hard work would be all for naught. And three, the gift that the one he loved had received for Christmas was really bothering him. He knew he had seen it before. He just couldn't place it.

But all this flew right out of his head the moment he spotted a certain girl finally step out of her room.

"Haley!"

The girl in question glanced over and spotted her friend quickly approaching. "Hello, Draco," she said courteously. "Have you seen Pansy?"

"Pansy?"

"Yes, Pansy."

"Oh that's right. You two are miraculously friends now."

"And you know what that means, right? More time with Pansy, less time with Draco," Haley smiled, laughing lightly. Unfortunately, Draco didn't share in her mirth. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. Haley stopped. "Come on, Draco. It was a joke."

"Ha. Ha," the boy replied, dryly.

Haley just rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you want to hang out, then you can help me find Pansy. I need to talk to her about something." She began walking towards the exit.

Draco quickly followed. "Well, why can't you talk to _me_?"

Again, Haley paused in her tracks. A small smirk played on her lips. "Oh, okay. Draco, do _you_ have any spare tampons?"

The blonde gaped, not expecting this. "You're joking, right?"

She smiled and shrugged. "Who knows? For all you know, I could talk to her about the demise of the planet, or maybe even the probability of Professor Snape going bald. Whatever it is, I want to discuss it with her to see _her_ opinion. So help me find her."

"Mm-hmm. And once we find the illustrious Pansy?"

"Well…you leave," Haley said simply. "But don't you fret. If you help me, I'll give you candy."

"Wow. You don't hold back, do you?" Draco mocked. Haley just smiled. "Well, we should look outside. Pansy likes to wander the grounds when she's nothing else to do."

"Sounds good." At his suggestion, Haley turned back towards her room. "Let me just grab my coat, and we'll be off."

Watching Haley retreat to her room, Draco smirked to himself. He knew full and well that Pansy despised being outdoors this time of year. In fact, he preferred the warmth of the school as well. But if it meant more time with Harry, Draco would do whatever it took, even if it meant facing the blistering cold of winter.

He quickly made his way to his room and grabbed his own coat. He threw a scarf around his neck and just as he was about to leave, he double-backed and stuffed an extra scarf in one of his pockets. He came out just in time to see Haley locking her door, her coat draped over her arm.

She smiled at him. "You ready?"

He nodded. "You sure you'll be okay with just that?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not? What's wrong with my coat?"

Draco shook his head in amusement, placing his hands in his pockets, feeling the extra scarf. "Nothing. Let's go."

--

Professor Severus Snape was world-renowned for being one of the top Potions Masters of his generation. He could pick up any potion and tell you what was in it and what it did. Despite all this, he wondered how in blazes it was a pair of seventh year, sniveling students of his that were able to create a potion as complex as this.

'Then again, they didn't exactly know what they were creating. They just stumbled upon it. _I_ was the one who had to reproduce their creation. _And_ I'm on the brink of creating the antidote as well.'

This seemed good enough to re-inflate his ego.

Professor Snape awoke that morning and followed his usual routine. 'Eat breakfast, check. Annoy Minerva, check. Scare a first-year… check.' He watched as the tiny Ravenclaw hurried away from Snape's path. And that's when he got the most delightful news.

Professor Spout hobbled up to the potions professor, smiling her usual smile. Then she said the four words Snape had been longing to hear: "The grubsnatches are ready."

--

"I can't believe we didn't find her! We looked _every_where!" Haley frowned.

The day had gone to waste as her search for Pansy led to no results. And to top it all off, the cold air was especially bitter that day. If Draco hadn't noticed the extra scarf he had left in his coat from before, or so he said, Haley's head might've turned to ice only to break and fall right off her neck. He was even so kind as to give the girl the one he already had on since it was, by now, warm from his body heat.

The two entered the Slytherin common room and after seeing that Pansy wasn't there either, Haley headed for her own room as Draco trailed behind. He hopped onto the girl's bed, resting his hands behind his head.

"Maybe we just missed her," he tried, trying hard to keep his smile to himself.

Haley pulled off her coat and tossed it so that it landed on the lounging Head Boy. However, she kept the scarf. It was soft. "Maybe. I'll just go look some more around the school."

"I'll go with you," Draco sat up, pushing the coat aside.

"That's okay. I mean, I've already spent the afternoon with you. I'm sure you've other things to do."

"Not really."

"Plus," she continued, "I'm kind of sick of you now."

Draco just rolled his eyes and lay back down. "Do you ever wonder if maybe what you say hurts my feelings?"

The girl pressed a finger to her lips. "Now that I think about it… not in the slightest."

Draco merely scoffed. "Some friend you are."

Haley was smiling. "All right then, Draco. I'm gonna head off."

"You really don't want me to go with you?"

"I already told you, I'm sick of you."

Again, Draco sat up, a frown plastered on his face.

And again, Haley rolled her eyes. "You know, you've been a lot less fun to tease ever since you came back from your suspension."

"Maybe it's just getting harder to tell when you're teasing."

Haley looked over at her friend. He was staring at the canopy above him, solemn. Haley sighed. She decided to halt her mission for a moment. This seemed more important right now. Without a word, she sat down next to her friend so that her back was resting against the headboard of her bed. "Would you like to share something Draco?"

"Well if you _must _know…" He started, still not looking at the other girl. "We don't have much time left together. I can feel it. And I said it before, I like spending time with you. But today, although we spent most of the day together, we spent the day looking for someone else. And if we found this someone, then you'd run off with her leaving me behind. And last night, even though we had that dinner together, you left me behind again and ran off with Maxwell of all people." Haley sensed the bitterness in his voice. "I just… it seems like despite how close we may _seem_ there's always someone else you're running off to be with. So when you say some things, I think that maybe there's some underlying truth to it. That maybe you really might be sick of me and _that's_ why you'd rather be off with those other people."

Haley frowned. Without a word, she grabbed the pillow she was resting on and hit the blonde across the face.

"Hey!"

"You sabotaged my search today, didn't you? You know, I knew there was something off about your suggestion, but I trusted your judgment!" She swung the pillow at his head.

"What? No! I would ne-" She struck him again. "Would you _please-_" She hit him three more times before Draco rolled off the bed and snatched the pillow from her. "Okay fine! So what?"

"This is important to me, Draco! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I wanted to run off with those other people for good reason?"

"Well what good a reason can it be that you can't share it with me?"

"I don't have to tell you _everything_. You certainly don't."

"But I want you to!"

"You can't always get what you want."

Draco groaned. "_That's_ for certain."

Haley sighed and moved so that she was kneeling on the bed, facing the other boy. "Listen, Draco. For the record, I really like spending time with you. So no matter how much I make fun of you, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, me making fun of you is a sign of how comfortable I really am with you. You don't see me making fun of Crabbe or Goyle… at least not to their faces. But you know what I mean. My point is, the more I make fun of you, the happier you should be. So stop worrying about what I say when I tease you cause half of what I say is most likely just that. A tease. And furthermore, I _can't_ share everything with you. I may want to, but I have reasons not to. And they're good reasons. So please respect my decision. If I want to share something with you, I will. In fact, you'll probably be the first to know. But you can't know _everything_. No one can know _every_thing. There's no changing that."

Draco was about to say something more, but a knock on the door cut him off.

Haley hopped off the bed and opened the door. "Oh. Hello Professor."

"I need to see you in my office. Make it snappy." The Potions Master stated, coldly. He spotted the boy over the girl's shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. "Mister Malfoy."

Draco quickly straightened up, tossing the pillow aside. "Professor."

Snape sneered. "It seems I need to see you as well."

"Professor?" came Draco's confused reply.

"After I have a chat with Miss Jones, I'd like to see you in my office as well."

"Um, yes sir."

Professor Snape quickly turned and made his way back to his quarters.

Draco glanced at Haley as he made his way past her. The air seemed a little tense. "I'll see you in a bit, then."

"Yeah." She closed the door behind her. She crossed the common room to the room Snape had entered. She took a deep breath before opening the door. "Professor?"

"Close the door, Potter."

She obeyed.

"What were you doing with Mister Malfoy?"

"What? Nothing. We were just talking."

"You are aware that there is a strict rule against entertaining guests in private rooms?"

"Sir, nothing happened. As if anything _would_ happen. He's Draco Malfoy, remember? And I'm Harry Potter. _Nothing_." She briefly wondered if she was simply telling him this or reminding herself of this fact.

"Anyway," the man swept towards his desk. "After a few more tests, it seems your antidote is ready."

"What? Really?" Haley hurried forward and peered into Mr. Whiskas' cage. She promptly pulled the tiny mouse out and lifted his tail. Sure enough, there was the proof that he was back to being a boy. With a grin on her face, she placed the mouse back into his home. "And he didn't change back or anything?"

"No he didn't. I gave him the potion three hours ago. The grubsnatches were the perfect age." Haley was still smiling as Professor Snape ladled some of the antidote into a vial. "Here you go, drink up."

The smile quickly vanished, as did the color in her face. "What?"

"Your antidote. It's ready. Drink it so you can leave now."

"W-wait. There's still some things I need-"

"Potter, please explain to me why exactly I'm supposed to care."

Haley gritted her teeth and exhaled deeply. "Look. I'm just saying that there are some loose strings that need to be sorted out before I can just leave. I mean, I arrived abruptly. Don't you think it'd be rather off if I left abruptly as well?"

If it could, Snape's glare would've certainly sent Haley six feet under. She never knew a lip could curl so high. Regardless, Professor Snape reached for a stopper in his desk, corked the vial, and threw it at the girl, who caught it with ease. "You have by the weekend to get out of my house. All of your little friends should be back by then. Come Monday, I'm kicking you out boy _or_ girl."

"Yes Professor." Haley smiled in relief. "_Thank you_, Professor. You're the greatest Potions Master in the world, Professor. You're-"

"GO. NOW."

With a smile on her face, Haley turned to leave the room. 'I've only a few more days left to torment him…' The girl laughed to herself, but the smile quickly faded away when she looked up into the room in front of her. 'A few more days…'

"Is he in a foul mood?"

Haley turned in hearing the voice. 'Draco…' "Maybe a little bit. I have that effect on him."

"That's not surprising," Draco smiled. "What did he say?"

She looked down at her shoes, playing with the vial in her hands behind her back. "I leave…" she looked back up at her friend, "…on Monday."

The light traces of amusement quickly left his face. "Oh."

The air between the two was stale. They stood not looking at each other for a good minute or so, letting this bit of information waft through their heads.

"I, um… You should probably get in there…" Haley said, breaking the silence. "You know, before he gets mad and all."

"Yeah…" Draco nodded.

"Yeah…"

Draco headed towards the door but paused to look at the girl. "I'll respect your decisions. Even though I'd rather you talk to _me_… I'll respect your decisions. Just… when you _do_ decide to tell me something, I'll be here for you. Okay?"

Slowly, she nodded. "…Thanks."

Draco offered the girl a half-smile before turning to enter the room. Haley wrapped the scarf tighter around her neck, caressing the fabric with her cheek. She squeezed the vial in her hand. 'Pansy… where _are_ you?'

--

Haley had gone that night without finding the smaller girl. It made Haley wonder if she really needed her help in the first place. But when she caught her hands playing idly with the fringe of the scarf around her neck, the answer was yes. She wanted the exchange to be as painless as possible and that would only happen if she weren't so attached to Draco. Pansy had convinced her it was possible once. Haley had no doubt that she could do it again.

However, finding the girl was another matter. She had searched the library, the Great Hall, the astronomy tower, and the kitchens, but the girl just couldn't be found. She asked around if anyone had seen her. Some did, some didn't. The ones who did pointed her off into a different direction and by the time she got to where she was going, Pansy was nowhere to be found. It was getting to be a little frustrating.

Haley was wandering down a fourth floor corridor looking for the girl when she bumped into Seamus Finnegan.

"Sorry Seamus."

"No problems, Haley."

"You haven't seen Pansy around, have you?"

The girl in question was only ten feet away. In hearing her name, Pansy quickly ducked behind the nearest statue, hoping that Haley would just walk away.

"Pansy Parkinson?" Seamus scoffed. "What do you want with _her_? She's an uptight hoity-toity pureblood prat, if you ask me."

Haley scowled. "I didn't ask you, did I? I just asked if you saw her."

"Oh. Right-"

"And anyway, you hardly know her to be calling her such names. She's actually a very nice person once you get to know her. She may seem a little condescending at times, but she's just shy and defensive is all."

"All right, all right-"

"And furthermore, though you may be so quick to judge her, I've never once heard her call you a pompous air-headed buffoon even though that's what _you_ seem like as well."

"Haley, sheesh! Sorry!" Seamus backed up. "I take it back. She's not a prat."

"Well good."

Pansy bit her lip. 'He defended me…' She peered at the two from where she was hiding. With a shake of her head, Pansy quietly made her way down the corridor and away from the others.

"Geez. Why's everyone so uptight with me lately?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I come back today, ready to spend the day with my best mate and he blows me off!"

"Who? Dean?"

"Of course Dean! There must've been something in that juice while I was away…"

"Well _some_thing must've happened.Did he say anything to you?"

"No! He just up and left me! We were just hanging out in the Gryffindor common room when Lavender and Pavarti walk by. I commented on how nice the view was and he just up and left!"

Haley shook her head solemnly. "Please don't tell me you were talking about the girls…"

"It was a joke! I always make jokes with Dean. That's what friends are for."

Haley sighed. "Seamus, how do you feel about Dean?"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just answer the question."

"He's my best friend. I like him-"

"Yeah, but do you _like_ him?"

"Of course I do. I just said-"

"I mean do you _like_ him?" She stressed the word further for effect. He seemed to understand.

"What?" Seamus furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would you even…? I never- I don't…"

"Then just answer this," Haley continued. "Would you rather spend a day having fun with everyone you know except Dean, or would you rather spend a day just relaxing with your best friend?"

The answer was clear in Seamus' expression. He shook his head "Well, what does that matter?"

"I'm just saying, maybe you should ask _him_ that question too. Maybe then you'll understand why he just up and left. And in the mean time if you see Pansy, please tell her that I'm looking for her."

The boy nodded.

"And Seamus," Haley added. "Cheer up. It's eerie seeing you without a grin on your face." The smile almost immediately broke out on his lips. "Much better. Oh and, sorry about the 'airhead' comment. I'm just a bit frustrated today is all."

"That's okay. I know I can be a little dense at times. Just like how you seem to prance about."

"I do not! Why does everyone _say_ that?"

Seamus just laughed. "I'll see you around Haley."

"Yeah, yeah…"

And with that, Haley continued her search as Seamus set out on a journey of his own.

--

With no results from the previous day, Haley came up with another plan. She woke up early the next day and sat on the couch closest to where the Slytherin girls would emerge from their dorms. If Pansy came out of her room that day, Haley would catch her.

She thought of going up the stairs herself, but in previous years, when she tried going up the stairs to Hermione's room as Harry, the stairs always gave way. In fact, she and Ron had spent more than one lazy afternoon trying to see how far up they could go before the stairs gave way. Yes, those days were fun. But right now, that didn't seem like an option. If someone noticed Haley Jones sliding down the stairs, suspicions would arise and that was the last this she wanted so close to the end of the ordeal.

The plan seemed like it was going smoothly. That is until Haley got hungry. She thought she could grab a quick bite to eat, thinking that if Pansy were to show up, she'd show up at the Great Hall to eat as well. But that didn't happen. And when Haley returned to the common room, Vincent Crabbe had pointed out that he'd seen Pansy leave while Haley was away.

"Why do you want to talk to her so bad, anyway?" Blaise mused, lounging in an armchair by Haley. "You're making poor Draco jealous."

Haley rolled her eyes. "That's his problem."

Blaise swung his legs up over the armrest. "You're not the least bit concerned about how he feels? I could tell you, you know. He was chatting all about it last night."

"I could care less."

"You really are getting cold towards him, aren't you?"

"With good reason."

"Ah. Does this have anything to do with our dear Ethan Maxwell?"

"No. Well… no. Not really."

"That's a rather vague answer, don't you think?"

"No."

Blaise just tossed her a look saying 'I don't believe you.'

"I mean, what he said a few nights ago was so spot on. If I keep falling for Draco, I'll only get hurt in the end. So… I just have to stop falling for him."

"That's stupid."

"It is not! Blaise, I leave in five days. That means I'm back to my regular self, which means Draco's going to go back to hating me. If I leave the way I feel now, I don't know how I could handle that. Especially knowing how I _really_ feel."

Blaise groaned. "That's _stupid_."

"It is _not_! You're not being very supportive, Blaise."

"That's because I don't support _stupid_ behavior."

Haley stood. "Fine. If you see Pansy, tell her I'm looking for her."

Blaise just waved her away nonchalantly.

--

Yesterday's plan was a major fail. Haley briefly thought that maybe Pansy was _avoiding_ her. But with what reason? She tossed that idea aside, believing herself to be paranoid. Haley decided this was it. She had four days to get over Draco Malfoy and if Pansy wasn't going to show up in front of Haley, Haley just had to show up in front of Pansy. She was going to _make _the girl give her some advice. That morning, while no one was looking, Haley tested the stairs. When everything seemed all right, she slowly headed up. She was expecting the ground to give way any moment now, sending her to the bottom of the staircase, but that didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon. Perhaps, it was just the body the stairs were enchanted to fend off. It made Haley feel a bit stupid. She should have tried this sooner.

She came to the door marked 'Seventh-Year' and knocked.

"Yes?" came the reply.

"Pansy, it's me, Haley. Can I come in?"

All was silent. About a minute had passed when, just as Haley was going to say something more, Pansy opened the door. "Did you need something?"

"I was hoping we could talk."

Pansy didn't respond. Instead she stood staring at the girl in front of her, eyes never wavering, but constantly questioning.

"Pansy, are you okay?" Haley asked. "I mean, I've been trying to catch you the past few days but…" she trailed.

Again, the smaller girl said nothing. But this time, after another moment of silence, Pansy stepped back and held the door open for the other Slytherin. Once Haley was inside, Pansy closed the door behind her and walked over to her bed. She picked up the book that was resting open on the foot of her bed. Haley assumed that Pansy was reading it before she interrupted the other girl.

Haley looked around the room. There were five beds positioned in a circle with canopies of green. It seemed that Pansy's roommates still hadn't returned from holiday. "Did I interrupt you?"

"Not really," Pansy replied. "This isn't for school or anything. Just a bit of light reading."

"Oh," Haley stepped forward. "So… what're you reading?"

The other girl lifted the book to show Haley the cover. "It's a book on dark artifacts. Don't look at me like that," Pansy said, referring to Haley's critical glance. "I borrowed this from Draco. There's a lot to learn about dark artifacts."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. You can learn about how to use them and how to defend yourself from them. It's not all bad, you know. In fact, over half of the things in here weren't even made for dark purposes. It was how the witch or wizard used it that made it dark."

Haley found herself very intrigued by this comment. She walked over to bed next to Pansy's and sat down. "Like what?"

"Enchanted knives of course. Used by chefs and housewives alike, they were created to help in the kitchen. You can probably figure out how else it was used."

"Wow…"

"And here. This contraption was made to help in hospitals or early prison cells for anyone who may get out of hand. By breathing in its perfume, you're ready for immobilization with the utterance of the code word. Sounds useful, no? But once they were stolen, they were used to immobilize other people. A dark wizard could just roll one of these into a room, wait about a minute or two before bursting through to paralyze his enemies. One wizarding family is pretty famous for this technique, in fact."

"Really? Which one?"

"The Mavillian family. Of course, by the time they were caught and sent to Azkaban, the dementors had taken over so they couldn't manipulate the device."

"Mavillian…" Haley thought back to her detention Professor Binns. He spoke of them. But before Haley could get too deep in her thoughts, Pansy snapped her book shut.

"What are you really doing here, Jones? I'm sure it's not to read up on artifacts."

"Oh. I just… I wanted to talk to you."

"Yes, you said that already. What about?"

Haley looked at her shoes. "Now don't get too excited about what I'm going to tell you, as I'm sure you'll probably want to be jumping for joy…" she trailed off.

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm leaving soon." She looked back up at the other girl. "I don't know if you've heard, but… I leave in four days.

Pansy slumped back against her pillows, seemingly aware of where this was going.

"And I know we've already been through this but things didn't really turn out like I planned when Draco came back. I really wanted to think of him only as a friend like you told me to, but then he gave me the necklace and said the most perfect thing…" Haley sighed in exasperation. "I wanted to make this easier for me, but it seems I dug myself a bigger grave. I thought that perhaps it would be okay to let myself care for him while I'm still here. I thought that maybe I could be happy having the time I have now with him. But that was stupid of me. It would only serve to break my heart in the end, and I don't think I can handle that." Haley looked back up at Pansy. "I want to get over him. Please… help me get over him."

Pansy just stared at Haley, a conflict brewing in her mind. She was solemn for a moment before she broke the eye contact. "Maybe… it's okay if you love him."

This was not the response Haley had expected. "What?"

Pansy looked back at Haley, her eyes intense and stern. "You're my friend, right? Despite everything, _you're_ my friend, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Pansy, what-"

"And despite all that's happened between us in the past, that's past right? Because _now_ you're my friend, _right_?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Okay," Pansy sat back, holding up her hand, effectively silencing the other girl. She was quiet again, but she looked as if she were trying to settle something in her head. At last, she looked at Haley and crossed her arms over her chest. "Then… as a friend in return… I'm telling you now. It's okay for you to love him."

"But he's in love with someone else. You yourself said that nothing could come of it. And why would you want me to love him anyway? You still care for him, I know it. Maybe not in the same way as you once did, but you still care for him nonetheless. And if I love him, it'd be like I'm taking him away. I'd only be competition for his affections."

Pansy looked away and scoffed. "As if I could ever compete with _you._" She looked back at Haley. "I concede, okay? I've come to terms with knowing I can't have him. But _you_ can. And you're right. I don't care for him the same way I once did, but that only makes it okay with me if _you_ go after him. Knowing that it's _you_ he's with, I'm okay with it."

"But that's the thing! I can't! He's in love with someone else!"

"Then make him see that it's _you _he really wants! You can do it, Jones. You have something with Draco. In a matter of _weeks_, you've gotten closer to him than _anyone_. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't even like me the way I like him?"

"How do you know he doesn't?"

"How do you know he _does_?!"

"He's happy when he's with you."

"He's happy when he's with _you_."

"It's not the same."

"Well either way…" Haley was shaking her head. "Pansy, I leave soon-"

"So what?"

"So what? I have another life to go back to. I can't just leave it to be with Drac-"

"Well, why not? Why does leaving here mean you can't have him there?"

"It's complicated."

"So un-complicate it."

"It's not that simple!"

"If it's such an issue with you then just leave and come back. This is your last semester in school, no? Finish what you have to in your old life and come back to start anew with Draco!"

Haley was stunned by the idea.

"If you truly care for him, nothing should stop you. Find a way to be with him."

"But… I'd be giving up my other life…"

"Then figure out what's important to you. If you find anything you can't leave behind to be with him then maybe you don't deserve him because I know if I were you, I wouldn't let anything get in my way of being with Draco."

Haley was quiet, Pansy's words echoing in her thoughts. 'Can I really give up being me, just to be with Draco?' The idea seemed preposterous. 'But…Nearly all my friends already know that I'm me… and as Haley I don't get stared at for being the Boy-Who-Lived… but I've already been through this with Ron! And I already concluded that being a girl isn't something that I want! …But being with Draco is something I _do_ want…' Haley buried her face in her hands. 'But… I don't even know how _he_ feels. Before I can decide _any_thing, I have to know what he thinks first.'

Haley looked back up at Pansy. "…This isn't an easy decision…"

"What's so hard about it?"

"I need to know what he's thinking. I just… I need to know what _he_ wants."

"Then why are you still sitting here with _me_?"

She let the words sink in. "Okay." Haley nodded, more to assure herself than anything else. "I'll do it. I'll talk to Draco."

Pansy sat back with a smile on her face. "Good."

Haley stood and headed towards the door. She paused. "Thanks Pansy."

"You're welcome. And, Jones," Pansy tapped her bottom lip. "I… I hope we can be friends once you go back. I… I've grown rather fond of this friendship of sorts."

Haley smiled. "Me too."

"Okay. So… when you go back and everything… I'd like to still be your friend... because, you know… you're mine."

"I'd really like that, too, Pansy. I'll see you later, okay?"

Pansy just nodded and watched as Haley exited her room. Once the door closed, Pansy smiled slightly. "…Go get him, Harry."

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Yay. A long one! Or at least, I think it's long. And half of this chapter almost didn't exist! What's going to happen next? I don't know!! Haha. Of course I know. That'd be cruel if I didn't know. Cause that would mean you'd have to wait longer as I made stuff up as I go along. That's probably why this chapter took as long as it did cause I had to make a bunch of stuff up. Yes. P.S. Thanks for all the comments a reviews! I love you ALL. Yes.

Anyway… NEXT CHAPTER!


	26. Mistakes

The Exchange – Mistakes

* * *

'I couldn't actually… could I?' Haley wondered. 'I mean, giving up being me to be with Draco? That's crazy…' But to Haley, though it sounded crazy, it hardly _felt _crazy. 'Could I actually do it…?' It didn't seem that farfetched. But she would have to wonder about whether or not she could after she found out where Draco stood.

'What am I going to say, though? Hey Draco, if you want me to, I'm willing to stay a girl for you? Just say the word and I'm yours?' None of these were remotely suitable. 'I just want to know what _he_ feels. That doesn't mean I have to say how _I_ feel.' But things were never that simple. 'And what happens if he doesn't feel the same way? I don't think I want to know…' She was having serious second thoughts about going through with this. She reached for the pendant dangling on her necklace. 'I _do_ cherish him… but does he cherish me?'

She thought back on everything that had happened between them the past few weeks. They've certainly had more than their share of ups and downs. There were times when she wanted nothing more than to curse him into oblivion, but then there were times when she wanted nothing more than to spend an entire day in his embrace. Pansy believed that Draco could love her. Even Blaise was anything _but_ opposed to the idea, and those were the two people who claimed to be closer to him than anyone. They were confident in her, so she had to be confident in herself.

When she got to the bottom of the staircase, her heart leapt to her throat when she spotted the boy coming out of his room. Almost immediately, she turned to hurry back up the stairs. She didn't think she had the nerve to go through with her plan after all. 'But I've gone face to face with dementors and giant spiders! I've faced the Dark Lord himself! This should be easy!' Though she thought it, she wasn't so sure she believed it. Nevertheless, Haley turned back around and continued down the stairs.

Haley watched Draco softly knock on her door. He put his ear to the door and looked at his watch. Seemingly disappointed, the boy stepped away and collapsed onto the nearest couch.

The small gesture warmed her heart. Before she knew it, her nerve had returned.

Haley took a deep breath before walking towards her friend. "Hey… Draco."

The boy sat up and smiled. "Oh. There you are. I thought you were still sleeping. You _do_ have a tendency to sleep in. How many times do I have to tell you? Beauty sleep is a myth. There's nothing you can do about your unsightliness."

Had it been any other day, Haley would have come up with a witty retort and she was sure that they would volley back and forth until their stomachs told them that it was time to eat. But today was not just any other day.

"Haley, it was a joke. You're not _that_ unsightly." When his friend didn't respond a second time, Draco straightened up. "Haley? Are you okay?"

She didn't look him in the eye. "I… think I'm ready… to tell you something now."

The boy cocked an eyebrow, but his voice was supportive. "Yeah, sure. Anything."

Haley walked around the couch and sat on the coffee table so that she was sitting in front of Draco. 'Do I _really _want to do this?'

Draco took Haley's fiddling hands in his. He leaned forward to catch her gaze. "Haley? What is it?"

"We're friends, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What… what do you really think of me?"

"Ummm, I guess… you're smart and fun to be with. You can be a little aggressive, but-"

"No, no. That's not what I meant. I mean… Draco, do you like me?"

"Of course I like you. You're my-"

"Again," Haley sighed. "Not what I meant." She was briefly reminded of the denseness of Seamus.

"Then what do you mean?" Draco asked, seemingly getting frustrated as well.

"I mean…" Haley bit her lip. 'There's no way around it, is there? I have to tell him…' It was hard to look him in the eye, so she looked anywhere but there. "I just- I think… Draco," she finally looked up at him, "I love you… And I was thinking… _hoping_… that maybe you could quite possibly… love me too?"

Her words seemed suspended in air. They loomed over her the longer Draco said nothing in response. Haley felt the unease go from her stomach to the very tips of the hands that were still in his grasp. His eyes shifted, no longer meeting hers. This only served to put her even more on edge. She couldn't take the silence. "Draco, say something!"

His eyes snapped back to hers. "Haley…" he exhaled. The tone was anything but comforting. Add that to the furrowed brow and the sorrowful look he was giving her and Haley was anything but calm.

"Oh God…" she started. She scooted as far back on the table as she could, pulling her hands out from under his and hiding her face behind them. 'He doesn't feel the same way! I'm such an idiot!'

"Haley…" He tried taking her hands again, but she wouldn't let him. "Haley, let me explain-"

'How could I be so stupid? He was just being nice! He never really liked me! I should have seen it! How could anyone like _me_?' She felt his hand on her shoulder. It felt like it was searing her skin.She plastered on a smile, the very antithesis of what she felt like doing, and looked back up at him "It's okay, Draco. I understand."

"No, wait-"

"I just- I should go, now-"

"Haley please let me-"

"-especially since I've completely embarrassed myself. Just please, can we forget that this ever happened?"

"No, just listen-"

But by now, Haley felt the rush of emotion envelop her. The lump in her throat grew larger every second that went by, and her eyes were straining, in pain, trying to hold back the tears that overwhelmed her. Abruptly she stood, and while trying to hide the tears the fell down her cheeks, she ran for the exit.

"Haley wait!" Draco called, but she was already out the door.

She turned down the nearest corner and cried with her back against the wall. It was hard to breathe. Her chest felt like exploding as she gasped for air. Slowly, she slid down the wall, wrapping her arms around her legs. She buried her face against her knees, letting the emotions run through her. 'He doesn't feel the same way… how could I be so stupid thinking maybe… he could never…'

"Haley!"

She shrunk, hearing Draco's voice echo down the hall. She prayed that he couldn't see her. She wished more than ever that she had her invisibility cloak with her.

"_Haley!_"

"Draco? What's going on?"

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Blaise.

"I need to find Haley."

"Why? What happened?"

"She… she told me that she loved me."

"That's great, mate!"

"No, actually. It's not."

"What? Why?"

"Blaise, I know. And I know that you know, too."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I know that Haley's really Harry."

Haley's already broken heart jumped to her throat yet again. Her heart was hurting, but she still wanted to hear more. 'He knows?'

"You… knew?"

"Yes! And knowing that it's actually Harry in there, I just I couldn't return her feelings. I just- I need to find her."

"Draco, wait!"

Haley heard the two pairs of feet run down the opposite corridor. She squeezed her arms tighter around her legs. 'He knew all along? And despite how close we got, he still… he doesn't… he _couldn't_…' The tears were streaming full force now. 'He can't love me because he knows I'm really Harry… I never should have told him how I felt… I'm so stupid! And now he knows that Harry Potter's in love with a boy… I bet he's getting a kick out of it…' Her thoughts were bitter, but she knew better. The sound of his voice, when he called out to her, held no malice.

She caught herself. 'What did I honestly think would happen though? That perhaps he's share my feelings and we'd live happily ever after? Come on Harry! Think logically!' She mentally berated herself. 'How did he know? Did Blaise tell him? No, Blaise sounded as surprised as I was… So how did he know? And if he knew, then why was he acting so nice to me this whole time? Maybe it was just a game for him! All this time, I thought we might be friends and he was just… just what? Making fun of me? Using me for his amusement? I should've known better… I should never have befriended Draco Malfoy…'

Her eyes stung from the tears while her heart felt like it had been torn to shreds. These thoughts only drove Haley deeper into her growing depression. 'I should never have let myself love him…I should never have-'

"Haley?"

--

Draco had spent the next hour looking everywhere for Haley. He never stopped running, despite the dirty looks he got from the various people he bumped into. All that mattered right now was that Draco find the girl he just crushed. 'I'm so stupid! Why didn't I say anything? I should've just spat it out!'

Draco quickly turned down the corner, nearly knocking down Ron and Hermione. He was just about to run past them, but he paused. "Have either of you seen Haley? It's important."

"No," Hermione frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

Draco just shook his head. He spoke more to himself. "I' m so stupid, I should've just said something…"

"Malfoy, what happened?" Hermione tried again.

He looked as if he didn't want to divulge any more, but carried on anyway. "She told me that she loved me."

"What?!" came Ron's exclamation.

"I didn't say anything and now she's somewhere upset-"

"You _idiot_! Do you understand what you've done? Do you understand how hard that must've been for her?" Ron grabbed at Draco's sweater and yanked the boy toward him. His face was nearly as red as his hair.

"Ron!" Hermione tried to pry her boyfriend off.

"You didn't _say_ anything? After she told you some thing like _that_?!" He was seething.

Draco shoved Ron away, aggravated by everything. "Why do you think I'm trying so hard to find her?" He brushed his shoulders off and sneered. "I don't need this right now. I need to find Haley. You and I can settle our differences some other time." And with that, Draco continued his sprint down the hall, leaving Hermione to comfort the angry Ron.

'Obviously _they_ know the truth…' He quickly searched the library. 'Dammit, Harry, where did you go? The look on her face… I can't believe _I_ did that!' Draco groaned in frustration. She wasn't there either. He hoped that maybe she went back to her room. So, without a care about the disgruntled people around him, Draco double-backed towards the common room.

He immediately spotted Blaise sitting by the door. "Well?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Damn!" He ran a hand through blonde tresses.

"Oh, Draco, there you are."

Draco looked over his shoulder. "Not now, Pansy. I need to find Haley."

The girl was carrying a book with her. "Really? I thought she would've found you by now."

"So wait, you've seen her?"

"Well, yeah. She and I talked this morning. I think you'll be pretty happy when she finds you, Draco." Pansy looked pretty pleased with herself.

"What?"

"Well, I don't want to spoil it-"

"You knew she was going to confront me?"

"So you _did_ see her?"

"Pansy." Draco gritted his teeth.

"Yes, okay? Like I said, we talked this morning and she said she was going to talk to you. Actually, I guess I kind of convinced her to, but ultimately she was the one who decided what she wanted. So yeah. I knew."

Draco just groaned.

"Why?" Pansy frowned. "What's going on?"

"She did talk to him." Blaise piped in. "She admitted her love for him and idiot over here said nothing."

Pansy gasped. "What? But I thought you loved hi…er. Her." The girl looked away hoping no one caught her mistake.

"Wait…" Unfortunately, Draco was more cunning than the average wizard. He studied his friend carefully. "You know, too?"

"Know what?"

Draco threw his hands up in the air. "She knows too!"

"How did you find out?" Blaise asked.

"Find what out?"

The boy looked around and lowered his voice. "That Haley's actually Harry…"

Again, Pansy gasped. "_You_ know?" She looked at the now pacing Draco. "And _you_ too?" Both boys nodded. "You idiot! If you knew, then why didn't you say anything to her?! I thought that you were in love with Harry!"

"I am!" There was a certain desperation in Draco's grey eyes. "It's just when _Haley_ said it, all I could think about was how I wanted to hear those words coming from _Harry_."

"You idiot!" Pansy reiterated. She lowered her voice. "They're the same person!"

Blaise snorted. "That's what _I_ said…"

"I _know_ that!" Again, he ran his hand through his hair. "My thoughts were a little unclear to me at the moment and by the time I sorted it all out, she was already running out the door! So stop yelling at me and help me find her!"

Pansy rolled her eyes. She shoved the book into Draco's arms and sat down next to Blaise. "This is _your_ mess. Clean it up yourself."

"Pansy-" He was going to say more, but the book in his arms caught his attention. "Wait, what is this?"

"The book I borrowed from you. I just finished it."

Frantically, as if remembering something vital, Draco flipped it open and began skimming through the pages.

"Draco, I hardly think this is the time to catch up on your reading," Blaise frowned.

"Hush up. There's something…" He turned over a few more pages.

"Draco?" Pansy groaned. "What are you doing? Harry-"

"Oh shit…" Draco's face immediately paled as he dropped the book from his hands. He ran to Haley's door and pounded on it. "_HALEY?!_"

Blaise immediately followed. "Draco? What are you doing? I told you she's not here!" He offered a smile to the people staring at them.

"She's in trouble!" He twisted the handle, but the door was locked. He growled in exasperation.

"What are you talking about Draco?" Blaise tried.

Draco didn't respond. Instead, he was racking his brain, trying to think of a way inside the room. 'Professor Snape!' The boy dashed off towards the Potions Master's door and began pounding even harder on the door. Unfortunately, there was also no response for Professor Snape was currently in deep conversation with Professor Flitwick on the other side of the school.

"Dammit!"

"Draco, calm down!" Blaise tried. "Please, just tell me what's-"

"The ball! The stupid ball!" Draco was awash with worry. "Inside is a poti…" Draco's mind clicked. "Of course! A potion!"

Blaise looked over to Pansy for some sort of help. She looked just as confused as the boy, but she picked up the book and looked at the page that Draco had stopped on. Blaise made his way over to her and they both glimpsed at it.

Draco dashed towards his desk. 'It should be right… _there_!' Draco grabbed the vial marked _Transpartium_ and calculated his distance. He stood as far back from the wall that connected his and Haley's room as he could. Popping the top, he drank. Immediately, he was transported from his room to Haley's. And there, on the nightstand was the offensive item.

"The Immobility Orb?" Blaise read.

"Its perfume, when it's breathed into a person's system, is potent enough to put a person to near complete paralysis, thus immobilizing them." Pansy recited from memory. "That is, only when the code word is said. I just talked about this with Haley…"

Still in the room, Draco tried to grab the ball, but it shocked him. "Bloody hell!" Again he tried, but again he was shocked. "God dammit!" he said, shaking his hand as it stung from the shock. He quickly scanned the room and spotted his scarf sitting on Haley's chest. He wrapped it around his hand and then tried to pick up the ball. It worked. Using his free hand, he unlocked the door and hurried over to Blaise and Pansy. "Do you know who gave this to her?"

The two looked up from the book and stared at the ball in wonder.

"Is _that_ what I think it is?" Pansy stared. Blaise just kept looking from the book to orb.

"Yes! Now do you know who gave it to her?"

Both just shook their heads 'no.'

Draco looked around the room. "…Where's Maxwell?"

"Ethan? You think Ethan-" Blaise started.

"_Where_ is he?! If _he's_ the one-"

"I'm right behind you, Malfoy. What the hell are you all yelling about?" Ethan frowned as he strolled up to the group upon hearing his name. "Everyone thinks you've all gone mad."

Draco spun around and grabbed Ethan's shirt with his free hand. "Where's Haley?" He growled.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her all day." He pushed Draco away, smoothing down his shirt. "What the hell is going on?"

"Did you give this to her?" Draco demanded, holding up the orb to the other boy.

Ethan glimpsed at the ball. "No. What is that?"

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying! I don't even know what that thing is!"

"You were stupid enough to try to attack me when we were younger, you might be stupid enough to do it again to Haley."

"That was a mistake, Malfoy. Get over it. I had a crush on you. You should be flattered."

"You thought I was a girl!"

"Guys! Focus!" Blaise yelled.

"You _swear_ you didn't give this to her?" Draco demanded once more.

"I _swear_. I've never seen that thing before in my life!"

"Dammit! Then who the hell gave it to her?!" Frustrated, Draco wrapped the scarf around the ball, and threw it across the room through Haley's open door. The panic was beginning to settle in his stomach as worry coursed through his veins. This was not good. 'Harry, where _ARE_ you?!'

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Well YOU know who gave it to her. And if you don't, SHAME ON YOU! I gave you all the proper hints. Think of everything Trelawny said! Those were dead giveaways. Haha. Sorry this one is shorter, but this is where I wanted to stop long before I ever started typing this out. Yes. But the next part should be out soon. Hopefully.

Thank you for reading!! And reviewing! I encourage you all to keep doing so! And thanks to Poruchik Potter whose random use of flying monkeys made me laugh enough to garner awkward glances from passersby. Which is a good thing. Haha.


	27. From Friend to Foe

The Exchange – From Friend to Foe

* * *

"Oh. Hi Leir." Haley quickly swiped at her cheeks.

"Haley, are you okay?" asked the Hufflepuff. "You don't look too good."

"It's nothing. Stupid really…"

"Come on. I know just the thing that will cheer you up." He held out a hand to the girl.

Seeing the offer of friendship, Haley gladly took the hand that helped her up. "So where are we off to?"

"Ah, ah. I don't want to spoil it," Leir playfully wagged his finger. "First, let's grab a bite to eat. You look like you could eat something."

As if her stomach had finally awoke from some sort of slumber, Haley suddenly felt very hungry. She followed Leir into the Great Hall where she took a seat at the Hufflepuff table.

For the next twenty minutes, Haley ate quietly to herself, trying to regain the energy she had lost from feeling so emotionally drained. A rather disgruntled Ernie MacMillan dropped into the seat across from her.

"Hello Ernie," Leir greeted.

"Oh. Hello." He glanced at Haley. "So here you are. Draco Malfoy's been tearing up and down the halls trying to find you. Knocked me over twice, he did."

"Oh…" was all she thought to say.

"In fact, I'm pretty sure he's on his way here. That is, after he checks the courtyard."

'Oh no… I don't want to see him though. Not now!' Haley slumped.

Leir sensed the distress in the girl. "Well, I'm full up. How about you?" He didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed Haley's wrist and led her out of the room. "Sorry about that," he said after releasing her. "It's just, for a moment there, it didn't look as if you wanted to be found."

"Well you were right," Haley frowned. "I don't really want to see him right now."

"I understand. Shall we go then?"

"All right."

Leir headed towards the entrance of the school. "So how about you tell me what's going on."

"It's stupid. Don't worry-"

Leir stopped and looked the girl in the eye. He placed a hand upon either shoulder. "Haley, if it's enough to make your eyes red and puffy then it's worth knowing, if only to help you vent."

She offered the boy a light smile. "Okay…"

"Okay." Leir continued to walk as Haley followed beside him.

"There's this boy… At first, we didn't really get along but now he's probably one of my best friends. And I thought we were getting along pretty well, but…"

"Go on."

Haley looked up at her surroundings. "Are we going outside?"

"Just to the greenhouse. So it'll be cold for a moment, but I'll help keep you warm."

"O…kay…"

Once outside, Leir quickly wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders as they hurried towards the greenhouse. The cold air nipped at her tear-stained cheeks. But soon enough, the warmth that existed magically in the greenhouse surrounded them.

"Look." Leir pointed out. "Even in the dead of winter, things find a way to grow…" He smiled at the girl. "See? Even if things seem hopeless out there, nothing's impossible."

Haley stepped forward and looked at the strange plants in the room. Through the windows, the scenery was painted white with snow, but inside the greenhouse the plants were blossoming. The contrast was refreshing. She began strolling up and down the aisles, running her fingers lightly over the various leaves. He was right. This did seem to cheer her up a bit. Flowers in the winter seemed like a rare thing, but here they were with their radiant colors distinct against winter snow. And despite how awful she felt right now, she couldn't help but smile.

"Much better." Leir smiled. "That's exactly the response I was looking for."

Haley turned to smile at her friend. "Well, thank you. This is lovely. I can't believe I never came here before. I mean, these weren't here during our detention, right?"

"They were actually." He chuckled in seeing the surprise on the girl's face. "They were just sprouting then. But there're a lot of things people tend to overlook when it's right in front of them."

There was a sort of gleam in Leir's eyes that seemed to unsettle Haley's stomach. But she pushed the feeling away and continued to graze the plants.

"So… this boy," Leir carried on, taking a seat on one of the empty tables in the room. "I'm assuming it's Draco..." He looked to her response, but she was solemn. "Is he the one that hurt you?"

And suddenly, all the emotions that she had felt within the past forty minutes came crashing back. Tears sprang back into existence. Haley did her best to keep them back, but she felt so exhausted by all the emotions that drained her. "I did something stupid." Her voice shook. "I fell in love with him. And even more, I _told _him too." Haley shook her head. "I should have never…" she closed her eyes as more tears fell. "I feel so foolish…"

Leir immediately hopped off the table and walked over to his friend, wrapping his arms around the crying girl. Haley leaned into the comforting embrace, letting her tears shake her very core.

"I suppose I set myself up for disappointment," she said against his chest. "I don't know why, but I just felt so sure that he'd feel the same way about me the way I do for him. But as it turns out, it seems he can't even stand who I really am…"

"That's ridiculous." Leir frowned. He lifted Haley's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "If he can't see how great you are, then he doesn't even deserve you."

Leir reached up and cradled Haley's cheek in his hand. She froze at the touch. "Leir… what are you…?"

The boy leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers.

This wasn't what she wanted. "No, Leir! What are you doing?" She tried pushing him away, but he still held on.

"Don't fight it, Haley. You and I have something special. Can't you feel it?"

"Leir, if you don't let go of me _right now_, I swear I'm jinx you so fast it'll make your head spin. Literally." She gave one last shove, forcing the boy to crash into one of the tables behind him.

At that moment, a handful of pages fell out from the back of Leir's coat. In seeing them, Haley quickly stooped down and picked them up. 'These are from Ethan's album! These are the pages that were torn out!' She looked back up at Leir. "What are you doing with these?"

"Oh don't worry about those-"

"_You_ stole Ethan's album?"

"I didn't steal it okay? _He's_ the one that left it out." Leir straightened himself out before continuing on. "I was there the night Colin Creevey spilled the beans about his crush on that Maxwell guy. _Maxwell_ was so busy rejecting the poor fool that he never noticed I had seen it. After that, I just had to get my hands on it."

Haley's mind would have reeled at the idea of Colin Creevey being in love with Ethan. But she had other things she was worrying about. "So you broke into his cabinet and stole it?"

"I _said_ I didn't steal it. I had every intention of returning it. I just happened to have dropped it before I got the chance to."

"Yeah, but you ripped some pages out before doing so. _These_ pages!"

"I was admiring his work. I must admit, I was very drawn to his subject."

"So what is this exactly? You keep pictures of me in your coat? Don't you think that's a little strange?"

"It's no different than a person keeping a picture of a loved one in his wallet."

"But these are whole _pages_. Not just one, but _several_! Several that you _stole_!"

"So what? He has the negatives. He can reproduce them."

Haley shook her head and stood up. "That's not the point, Leir. These pictures don't belong to you."

The Hufflepuff snatched the pages out of Haley's hands. "They do now. And what does he need them for anyway? _I'm _the one you care for."

Her mind was spinning. "What?"

"Come on, Haley. I know you care for me. You saw me when no one else did. My own family ignores me, but _you_! _You_ saw me. You care for me."

"As a friend!"

"Oh don't deny it! You cared enough to visit me in the hospital. You said you were worried about me. Concerned, in fact. And then all those times you _conveniently_ bumped into me…" Leir moved closer to the girl. "You don't have to play with me anymore. I'm more than willing to submit myself to you."

"I don't _want _you to submit _any_thing!"With every step he took forward, Haley quickly took one step back. "You've got it all wrong. Sure I was concerned, but if any of my friends get hurt, of course I'm concerned. And all those times I bumped into you were just coincidence! I never meant anything by them."

"Sure." He rolled his eyes. "And the next thing you're going to tell me is that the little stunt you did right there," he motioned behind him. "The whole hugging bit? That was just you wanting comfort, right?"

"_Yes!_ I was- _am_ genuinely upset! You gave me a hug and I accepted it!"

"It's one thing to accept it, Haley, but you were crying on my shoulder, _clinging _to me."

"I was not '_clinging_'! I thought you were just trying to be a supportive friend, not a perverted stalker."

Haley turned to leave, but Leir immediately grabbed her wrist and yanked her back by his side. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that you're _that_ naïve to what you were doing. You care for me. I know it."

"Let go of me." Haley said slowly through gritted teeth. "You've no idea who you're dealing with." She pulled her wrist away from him and took another step back. "Look. You've obviously got things mixed up. I don't like you like that, Leir."

"_Liar_!!"

Haley flinched at the sudden outburst and the power in his voice. His eyes, once soft and caring, were cold and wild. If she didn't know any better, she wouldn't have recognized her once cheerful friend.

"You do care, Haley," Leir reasoned. "You just haven't exactly realized it yet. You may _think_ you're in love with Draco Malfoy, but you've yet to realize that the one you love is standing right in front of you."

This was getting annoying. "I'm leaving now." And with that, Haley abruptly turned and hurried back towards the exit.

"No! Wait!"

Again, Leir made a grab for Haley's wrist, but this time she was ready. As soon as she felt him lean in for the grab, she spun back around and with one hand punched him across cheek. She grabbed her wand with the other and pointed it directly at the ailing boy. "_Leave me be_!" she growled.

Leir immediately clutched the already swelling cheek. "You! You hit me!"

"And I'll do it again if you don't stop this nonsense."

"Haley, you're making a big mistake."

"Actually, the mistake was befriending you in the first place. Goodbye, Leir. Have a nice life."

"_Mavillianous!_"

Instantly, Haley felt her legs give way as every muscle in her body slackened. Her wand slipped out of her grasp as she fell forward towards the cold concrete below her. 'What? What's happening?' Haley's eyes were wide with panic. 'I can't move!' Her breathing sped up as her heart pounded in her fear.

"Haley… I'm sorry…" Leir crouched down beside the girl. "I didn't know what else to do. I only meant to use it as a precaution, but you left me no choice…"

'What's going on?!' Her mind was screaming for her to get up, but her body remained motionless. She felt Leir turn her so that she was facing the ceiling. He climbed on top of the girl, straddling her sides. 'No! Get off of me!!'

She saw him reach into his pocket. He pulled out a glass ball, similar to the one he had given her on Christmas. This one, however, was without smoke. "They're hardly ever used nowadays which was why I was so confident that you wouldn't know what it was. It's a neat little trinket my family has picked up. It's called an Immobility Orb. Fitting, don't you think?" With his free hand, he caressed Haley's cheek lovingly. The girl wanted nothing more than to rip that hand of and hit him with it. "Fill it with a type of paralysis perfume that your target breathes in and you can knock anyone down with a simple utterance of the key word. '_Mavillianous…_' I guess you could say I used that particular word for sentimental reasons. My family's very keen on it, you see. My great-aunt Emiry Mavillian was famous for its use, but that's a whole other story."

Haley put the pieces together. 'That's the thing Pansy was talking about this morning! So that must mean Leir is apart of the Mavillian family and that the stupid orb was just a contraption he used to drug me! What's he going to do to me?!'

"My sister," Leir continued. "She came up with the potion. Older versions had an awful smell, but being as smart as she was Natasha easily reinvented it so the perfume was practically non-existent. I mean, you didn't notice it, did you?" He chuckled. "Of course you didn't. Look at the position we're in." Haley never thought she could hate someone as much as she hated Leir right now. Not only was he taking advantage of her but he was mocking her as well. "Me, I made the smoke dance. But my parents were too busy with everyone else to care. But it's significant, don't you think? It's rather hypnotizing in fact. But no. No one cared. When you're the youngest of seven, no one cares what you do."

Leir placed the ball back into his coat. He used that hand to prop himself up as he continued to gently graze Haley's cheek with his other hand. "But you cared. You came to me when I thought no one ever would. After all, I'd been kicked out of two others school before coming here. And then I was only let in because of how well my sister did here. No one gave me the time of day. And you came along. I'm grateful for you Haley. You mean a lot to me. And I mean a lot to you, too. You just haven't realized it yet. But I'll help you."

'Oh God, what is he going to do?!'

Leir moved his hands to the bottom of Haley's sweater. He lifted it just above her midriff. "You have very beautiful skin, Haley," he purred. With his fingers, he traced the light outlining of her abs. "You must be incredibly athletic. I could tell from your punch that you're strong. I never realized just how strong until now. But I can forgive you, Haley. Just like you're going to forgive me."

'I don't want this! Someone help me, please!"

"Now, now. Don't cry. I'll make this as painless for you as possible."

She didn't realize it until he had said it, but there were more tears running down her face. She was scared. She didn't want this.

Leir bent down and kissed Haley's neck. His hands traveled down and began to unbutton the girl's jeans. His kisses were getting forceful as he moved to lower her zipper.

'_NO!!_ _DON'T TOUCH ME! PLEASE!! SOMEONE HELP!!_' Her mind was shrieking the words she wished to call out. She shut her eyes, trying to picture being anywhere but here. All she could see was Draco. 'Draco… I _need_ you…'

"_Impedimenta!_"

Haley felt Leir's body go rigid before he collapsed on top of her. 'Get him off! Get him off!'

"_Deletrius._"

Haley gasped. She felt her muscles spring back to life as she shoved Leir off of her. He landed with a dull thump next to her. Haley scooted as far back from him as she could, fixing her clothes along the way. Placing her hand beside her, she felt her hand graze the wand that had rolled away from her.

"Haley?"

Startled, Haley snatched up her wand and whirled around to face the speaker. Her face, stained with fresh tears, held an expression of anger and warning as she held her wand up at the ready. Her mind was muddy. She just wanted to escape. It didn't even register in her mind that it was Draco who was standing before her.

"Haley, relax…" Draco quickly tucked his wand away and held up his hands to show her he meant no harm. His face showed nothing but concern for the girl.

"Dra… Draco…" Haley huffed, wand still pointing at him.

"Yeah, it's me." Slowly, he crouched down next to the girl.

Her breathing was labored. After a few moments of mentally assuring that it really was Draco, Haley broke down. "Oh God, Draco!" She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his torso. She buried her face in his chest, letting her emotions flow and releasing the tears of fear and relief.

Draco instantly returned the embrace and cradled the girl in his arms.

"He- he tried to-" she stammered.

"Shhhh… it's okay… I'm here now…" Gently, he rocked her. She clung to him as if he were her lifeline. He stroked her hair softly, rubbing her back in comfort.

"Draco?"

Draco turned to see Blaise in the doorway with Ethan and Pansy close behind. "She's here."

"Did he-" Ethan started.

"No, thank God."

"Is she all right?" This time it was Pansy who spoke.

Draco didn't answer. He wasn't sure what to say.

Haley listened to the voices of her friends. At that moment, she was grateful for all of them. Her breathing slowed to a calmer pace as she let herself get lost in the comforting arms of Draco.

"Draco, get her out of here. Take her back to her room," Blaise instructed, finding the need to take charge. "Pansy, go find Snape or McGonagall. _Some_one. Tell them what happened. And Ethan and I will take care of _that_." He motioned towards the stiff form of Leir Valex.

"Come on, Haley. Let's go." Draco slowly stood, still hanging onto the girl. Haley let her arms drop to her sides, her wand still secure in her hand. She let Draco lead her back towards the school.

The students they passed all stared in curiosity. But Haley didn't care. After everything, she felt numb. Her tears were finally subsiding and her breathing finally slowed to a normal pace. She couldn't stand to look up. She stared at the ground and continued to let Draco guide her through the torrent of onlookers.

Quickly and without words, they made their way through the halls and through the Slytherin common room. Her door was still unlocked from when Draco entered earlier, but she was too weary to care or notice. He led her to her bed, but she froze, spotting something on the floor.

'The orb… that stupid bloody orb…' She walked up to it and picked it up. Again, she watched the smoke dance, but instead of feeling mesmerized, she grew angry. In a flurry of rage, and with all the strength she could muster, she threw the cursed object against the nearest wall, effectively shattering it to bits.

Draco slightly flinched at the outburst. But when Haley buried her face in her hands, he was right by her side again, pulling her into a hug. "Rest now Haley."

"I just want this day to end…"

"I know…" In one swift movement, Draco lifted Haley and placed her gently in her bed. She immediately rolled onto her side, curling up as tight as she could.

She felt the bed move. Draco climbed in next to her with her back to him. There was no way he was leaving her side now. He wrapped an arm around Haley's waist, pulling her in as close to him as he could. She closed her eyes and sighed, overwhelmed by his comfort and warmth. Despite what he had put her through earlier, she was still so grateful for him. He kept his promise. He protected her. He was there when she needed him. Knowing this, she held Draco's hand in hers. "Will you be here when I wake up?" she asked, quietly.

"Of course," he whispered back. "I'm not going anywhere."

"…Thank you…"

"… Rest now, Haley. I promise… things will be better when you wake up."

And with that, Haley let the last bit of energy she had escape her as she fell into a deep sleep.

--

Draco wasn't exactly sure how long he had stayed with Haley. A couple of times he heard a knock on the door, but he didn't dare move. He didn't want to. He was more concerned about the one in his arms.

She had moved in her sleep so that she was turned towards him. Draco took the opportunity to study the face that he had grown to love.

'If I didn't show up, he would have…' The thought alone of someone else touching his Harry made the blonde angry. 'I'll kill him… Once I get my chance, I will kill that son of a bitch…' He tightened his hold around Haley. 'I'm sorry Harry… I should've known. I should've recognized that stupid orb… And if it weren't for Maxwell's stupid 'badger' comment, I might not've made it to you on time… I'm so sorry… when you wake up, I'll make things better.'

Draco lightly kissed Haley's cheeks. He brushed aside the hair that fell over her forehead. There he spotted the famous scar. With his fingers, he traced the imperfection over and over as if to commit it to memory.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you like that again…" he whispered against her ear. Again, he kissed her, this time on her forehead. "I love you, Harry…"

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I own naught Harry Potter and other related objects other than Ethan, Leir, and… well… this story. Muahahaha…

Don't worry. You'll find out what happened to Leir in the next one. Muahaha.

'Tis true! It's been five years since I started this. I actually wanted to try to finish this by the fifth year anniversary, but oh well. Here's a chapter instead. And I know it's almost two o'clock in the morning here, but I'm sure in some other place in the world, it is still June 23rd. Actually, I was just about to go to sleep, but the I decided to finish this chapter instead.

Anyway, please review! And thanks to all who have! Yay. Any questions you still may have will most likely be answered within the next remaining chapters. So… cheers!


	28. Friendship Survives

The Exchange - Friendship Survives

* * *

For an instant when Haley awoke, she was surprised to see Draco's sleeping face right next to her. But the flood of memories soon returned. She had half-hoped that it had just been a terrible nightmare from beginning to end, but seeing Draco next to her quickly diminished that idea.

'Leir… _Leir_, of all people… tried to _rape_ me… If it hadn't been for Draco, he _would_ have…' She studied Draco's sleeping form, trying to remember if he had always looked so striking or if it had just been a recent development. 'No… he was always beautiful… I just never got the chance to see it before… I was too busy hating that stupid smirk of his…'

There was a dull pain in her heart. 'Why is he here? If he knows who I really am, why does he keep leading me on like this? He said he couldn't love me because he knows I'm Harry. So what is he doing here? Is this just some cruel game to you, Draco?'

Her chest tightened and it was suddenly hard to keep looking at the one who held her so gently. Soon, she felt like shouldn't breathe, so she pulled away from his embrace and sat on the edge of the bed.

This was enough to stir the sleeping boy. Draco opened one grey eye after another and looked at the girl whose back was to him. "Haley?" he said, voice still heavy from sleep. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "How are you?" he asked tentatively.

Her head drooped. "Draco… can you do me a favor?"

He immediately moved toward the girl. "Of course. Anything."

"I'm very grateful for everything you've done for me, Draco. You know this…"

He didn't respond, not really knowing where this was going.

"But… in spite of everything… it still really hurts to see you right now…"

"Haley-"

"So please… just leave."

"No wait. Let me explain-"

"Draco, _please_… I just want to be alone right now…"

"Haley, I know-" He instantly stopped as soon as he saw her bring her hands to her face. His heart leapt to his throat. Was he making her cry again? He couldn't stand that. He raised his hand and gently placed it on her shoulder, but she immediately retreated from the touch. His heart felt heavy with that one movement. Despite what he wanted, he respected her wishes. So after a moment's hesitation, Draco slowly climbed off the bed and walked over to the door. He paused and looked back at the broken girl. "Haley-"

She turned away from him.

Draco suddenly found it harder to breathe. He didn't want to go, but he didn't know what else to do. So, despite what his heart was screaming against, Draco opened the door and left the girl to herself. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it, hurt and confused. His heart felt like it had been stabbed more than once. And for the first time in a long time, Draco felt like crying.

"How is she?"

The blonde looked up. Sitting just outside the room, Blaise and Pansy were napping on a couch, the latter snuggled against the former. He turned his attention to the voice. Ethan, who had been pacing back and forth, looked at Draco with questioning eyes.

"She's awake. But… not good." Draco was somber for a moment, but then, with the eloquence of a Malfoy, he straightened up and returned his gaze to hazel-eyed boy. "Did you take care of him?"

Ethan nodded, subconsciously massaging his knuckles. They were still red from earlier.

Draco glanced at Blaise. He, too, shared similar bruised hands. "Good."

"Professor Snape showed up after Blaise and I gave him his comeuppance. He didn't exactly approve of our methods, but he didn't exactly stop us when he arrived. Once the badger wakes up from the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore's expelling him."

Draco sneered. "Remind me to visit him before he goes. I have a few things I'd like to share with him myself." Draco moved to go to his room, but Ethan stopped him.

"I never meant to hurt you, you know. I mean, what with all that happened with Haley… I just thought you should know that I would never have taken it that far…"

Draco looked at Ethan from over his shoulder. "I still hate you." He replied, matter-of-factly.

"I know."

"Given, you are growing more and more tolerable as this day progresses …I still hate you nonetheless."

This time Ethan smirked. "I know."

Draco turned his attention back to his door when Ethan stopped him yet again.

"…How did you know where to go?"

Draco paused at his doorknob, but didn't turn to face the other boy. "I didn't. When MacMillan said he had seen the two together, I felt a chill and I… I just started running."

Ethan scoffed and looked away. "Perfect. Of course. You two belong together."

Draco's head visibly sunk at the words, but Ethan didn't notice. Without another word, Draco opened his door and closed it firmly behind him. He sighed. 'I'm not so sure about that…' Finally, in the privacy of his own room, Draco succumbed to the emotions he had fought so hard to keep away. Draco Malfoy cried.

--

Once the boy had left the room, Haley made her way to her bath. She wanted to scrub every bit of skin that Leir had touched. She scrubbed the skin until it was red and raw. It was the only way she felt clean. She was moving on autopilot now. Her mind was still too exhausted to sort through her thoughts just yet. She was sure that she had a lot of explaining to do once she stepped out of her room, but she wasn't sure she wanted to relive the day just yet. At least, not with just anyone. She had the sudden and deepest urge to find Ron and Hermione. They always found a way to make her feel better.

Quietly, Haley slipped out of her room, making sure no one noticed her movements. She wanted to get out of the confining space. She wanted to see her best friends and no one else. So with her invisibility cloak safely secured around her, Haley moved quietly out the door.

Scanning the common room, she immediately spotted Blaise and Pansy sitting together, snoozing. The events of the day must have worn them as well. Ethan was sitting nearby as well, seemingly deep in thought. She was grateful for them. She wanted to thank each and every one of them, but right now, all she wanted to do was see Ron and Hermione. They were always her support and she needed them now more than ever.

Hours seemed to have passed since her encounter in the greenhouse. The sun was already setting, as the sky grew dark outside. She made her way to the Gryffindor tower, and followed one of the younger years into the common room. She saw her friends sitting together in front of the fireplace, hand in hand. Haley envied the two, wishing she could find a love of her own. But the two looked upset, worried even.

'They probably heard what happened…' Haley frowned. Still hidden under the cloak, she took a seat next to Ron.

Ron's eyes widened at sudden dip. Hermione on the other hand wasn't as perplexed. "Harry?" she whispered.

"…Hello…" she replied, quietly.

"Geez, Harry," Ron sighed in relief, placing his free hand over his heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry."

"Let's go to my room," Hermione suggested, standing up and leading the way.

Once all three were in, Haley removed the cloak and hurried over to Ron, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"Whoa!" Ron said in his surprise, but instantly returned the embrace.

"I missed you guys." Haley waved Hermione over, including her in the hug.

"Harry, are you all right?" Ron frowned. "We heard what happened with Draco earlier."

"And there were rumors about some Hufflepuff as well…" Hermione added. "…But we weren't really sure about that one."

Haley still clung to her friends as she laid out the details of her day. Every so often, Hermione would gasp and Ron would mutter the occasional curse, but they let the girl finish before saying anything else. When she had finished telling the story, Ron and Hermione hugged their friend even tighter.

"I just keep thinking that I did something wrong, today. That maybe I made these things happen-"

"Of course not!" Ron growled. "Leir was psychotic! It wasn't your fault you didn't know his intentions."

"Maybe I'm just too trusting of other people…"

"That's not entirely a bad thing, Harry," Hermione reasoned. "Because of it, you befriended the people who came to your aid. Leir was the only one you had reason to be suspicious of and from everything you've told us about him, there's no way you could've known what he was really like. He gave you no reason to doubt him. He would've fooled anyone."

"Okay then what do I do about Draco? He _knows_. I don't know how he found out or how long he's known, but he knows. And stupid me fell in love with him…"

"You're not stupid, Harry." Hermione comforted her friend. "He's been really great to you since the beginning. You two have been getting along brilliantly and it's only natural for you to develop deeper feelings for him."

"Well what good does it do me? He can't love me because I'm me. He said it himself."

"Then he's an idiot and you deserve better!" Ron exclaimed. "If he can't get over the fact that you're Harry Potter, then that's his loss. Anyone would be lucky to have you, mate."

Haley offered her friends a small smile. They all sat on Hermione's bed together. "It just sucks… I really thought we had something. Or that we _could_ have something. But now… I'm just worried about what his intentions are. Like… if he really has a problem with me being Harry, then why does he bother being nice to me? What's really going on in his head?"

"Well… maybe he thinks it's all right if you're someone else and that, better yet, you're in Slytherin. Maybe he can't stand Harry, but is okay with being friends with someone he's more likely to get along with?" The redhead thought aloud.

"Think, Ronald," Hermione frowned. "Then why would he bother giving Harry the necklace and making him promise to cherish him? If he knew that Harry was going to change back, then what was the point? It's like he was trying to hang on to what he had with Haley."

"But if he cares so much, 'Mione, then why didn't he return Haley's feelings?"

"Well…" she bit her lip, looking at the other girl in the room. "Maybe he _doesn't_ return those feelings… maybe he really does just cherish Haley as a friend. I mean, he _is_ in love with someone else. That much we know."

Haley nodded solemnly. "That makes sense… he must really care for this person…" She chuckled lightly. "I never imagined I'd be jealous of someone I don't even know."

"So, I guess the only question left is if you're still willing to be his friend after all this."

"But if he knows that I know that _he_ knows, and if Ron's right about him being okay just because I'm supposedly someone else, then how is that possible?"

"Keep up the farce." Ron shrugged. "If you still want to be friends with Draco, and he still wants to be friends with Haley, then when you're with him, just be Haley." He himself looked a little confused by what he just said, but he stood by it nonetheless.

"I guess I can do that… maybe… I don't know." Haley slumped against the headboard. "I do want to keep him as a friend, if nothing more. Especially after today, I'm willing to do what I can to keep Draco as a friend, even if it means keeping up with this charade."

"I just don't know, Harry. This is all so complicated." Hermione sighed. "I wonder what's going through his head. Why is he doing what he's doing? I just can't believe that he'd go through all this trouble of being your friend and whatnot just because you're supposedly someone new. It just doesn't make sense to me."

"Well, we've nothing else to go on. And whatever his reason may be, it doesn't make much of a difference. Draco can't love me because I'm Harry, but he can like me as Haley. So even though things may never be the same once I change back, if it's Haley he wants to be friends with, I'm willing to be her if it means I can still be with him."

Ron groaned and rolled over onto his back. "I just can't believe that it's _Malfoy_ we're talking about."

"If we can't like him for what he's put us through in the past, we can tolerate him for what he's done for Harry." Hermione determined. "That much we can do."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure." Ron said with a wave of his hand.

"So what are you going to do now, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose I need to do some more explaining. Professor Dumbledore probably needs to hear the story. And then I have to go reassure Blaise and Pansy and Ethan that I'm all right. They all looked a little concerned earlier. They need an explanation. They deserve one." Haley sighed. "And for now, because it still hurts, I'm going to steer clear of Draco. At least until I can tolerate seeing him again. And then finally, I'm just going to put this day behind me and never look back on it again. When I wake up tomorrow, things will be better." She looked at her friends with confidence, despite the doubt she harbored within. 'At least, I hope so.'

"I'm sorry to change the subject, but there's been one thing that's been nagging me since you said it, Harry," Ron pondered. "Colin Creevey's gay?"

"I never said that!" Haley clarified. "I just said that he apparently admitted he had crush on Ethan."

"So… what's the deal? What's going on with Gryffindor tower?"

Hermione cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since Harry switched genders, all I've been hearing is this guy is gay and that guy is gay. I feel like I'm a rare breed."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. "That's ridiculous…"

"I know." Ron smirked. "But at least I got you to laugh."

Haley smiled at her best friend. As grateful as she was to the group of Slytherins who came to her rescue, right now, she was more grateful for the pair of Gryffindors who rescued her in a different way.

--

Feeling extremely hungry, she, accompanied by her friends as she was still under her invisibility cloak, made her way to the kitchens. Once there, the trio was surprised to see Professor Dumbledore munching on a rather delectable lemon meringue pie. As they made their way towards him, they were offered a torrent of different foods from the house elves.

"Ah, Mister Weasley, Miss Granger. How good it is to see you."

"Hello, Professor." Both replied warmly.

"And is it safe to assume that Mister Potter is nearby as well?"

Haley responded by removing her cloak.

"Ah, yes. Very good." He took another bite of his pie. "I hope you are well, Harry. I heard what happened."

"I guess I'm still a little… surprised by everything that's happened, but I do feel much better than I did this afternoon." Haley took a seat across the Headmaster. He seemed like he was thoroughly enjoying his pie. Despite not wanting to interrupt the man, she had to know. "Professor… what's going to happen to Leir?" Her voice shook a little in stating the name she so despised, but her friends immediately flanked her, each taking her hand in theirs.

"Mister Valex is currently resting in the Hospital Wing."

"Really?"

"Yes. It seems that Misters Zabini and Maxwell decided on their own course of punishment for the boy. One of the physical sort."

'They beat him up?' Haley was a little stunned. "Oh," was all she could think to say. She tried to hold back her smile, as it didn't seem appropriate to smile at someone else's beating.

"As I'm not really one for violence, I gave them each a detention."

"But Professor-" Ron interjected.

"Of course, that was after I awarded them thirty points each for defending their friend."

Haley shook her head in amusement. 'He's certainly got a twisted way of doing things… But I'm glad.'

"Surely Leir will be expelled, right Professor?" Hermione furrowed her brow. "I mean, what he did was awful."

"Of course," the wise man replied. "We do not tolerate such behavior at Hogwarts. I'm sorry it went as far as it did, Mister Potter. I never thought he would try something like that. He must've really had his heart set on you."

"So you knew he was demented then?" Ron gaped.

"Mister Valex has a record of being rather obsessive, yes. In his previous schools, he would find himself attracted to a girl and he'd begin following her every move. But he'd never gone this far before." The man sighed. "I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt."

"It really sucks when people let you down." Haley thought aloud.

Professor Dumbledore looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "I suppose 'sucks' would be an appropriate term. Again, I am very sorry that this had to happen to you, Mister Potter. Especially with everything else that's gone on in your life."

Haley shrugged. "It's just another day in the life of, I suppose."

Professor Dumbledore offered the girl a light smile. "On another note, I hear your antidote is ready."

Haley nodded. "It's in my room. Maybe if I drank it when Professor Snape told me to, this wouldn't have happened."

"But I'm sure your reasons for not drinking it then still hold true now." Dumbledore said with an all-knowing twinkle in his eye.

Haley thought about it. "I guess you're right… There are still some loose ends to deal with before I can switch back. It wouldn't make much sense for Haley Jones to suddenly disappear. But I'll definitely be switching back come Monday. Somehow, being Haley Jones got more complicated than being me." Haley said with a light smile. "I'm more than willing to go back now."

"As I thought." The headmaster smiled. He took one last bite from his pie and stood. "I should be going . You'd be surprised by the amount of work one has to do as a Headmaster." He chuckled at his own joke. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night, Professor." They all replied.

He headed for the door but stopped to place a hand on Haley's shoulder. "And Mister Potter, if you need anything, take notice of my late night snack. I'm always here to help."

"Thank you, Professor." Haley replied warmly.

As soon as the headmaster left the room, Ron turned to his friends. "I don't get it. What does lemon meringue have to do with anything?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He meant that that is his new password for his office."

"Oh. Oh I get it!" He smiled.

Haley chuckled at the exchange. Soon she was bombarded with food from the house elves, including a piece of the pie Dumbledore had been snacking on. She tried the pie and an idea struck her. "You guys up for a little project, tonight?"

--

Haley was having a hard time trying to keep her cloak on while holding a box in each hand. But somehow she managed to make it all the way to the Slytherin common room with no problems. When she looked around the room, Draco was nowhere to be found but the other three were still sitting near her door.

Haley slipped past them and ducked into her room. She placed the two boxes on her bed and quickly removed her cloak. Grabbing the larger of the two boxes, she was finally ready to face her friends.

"Haley," Ethan stood.

Both Blaise and Pansy's heads turned in hearing her name.

"Hello." She offered a light smile to each of them. She walked over to the armchair next to the one Ethan had been sitting in, across from where Pansy and Blaise currently sat. She placed the box on the table. "I brought this for you as a thank you… for today."

It was Blaise who opened the box and spotted the lemon meringue with a couple of forks arranged to fit inside as well. "When did you…?"

"I snuck out. I didn't really feel like facing you guys-"

"Why? It's not like you did anything wrong." Pansy frowned.

"I know. It's just… I wanted to clear my head of some things first and I couldn't do that just sitting in my room. And that's when I snuck away to the kitchens and after running into Professor Dumbledore there who was eating a lemon meringue pie, I figured I could take one for you all to show my gratitude. Actually, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger helped make this one. But don't worry." Haley added with a smile. "Hermione did most of the work. Ron just sat there preparing the lemons and I helped whip the meringue. I just thought it'd mean a lot more if we made it rather than me just bringing one to you cause, although I didn't exactly express my gratitude at the time, I was really happy that you guys came when you did. I'd be a lot worse off if you hadn't." She smiled at them. "So thanks. And…" she directed her gaze on the boys. "Did you really beat him up once I had left?"

At this, Blaise and Ethan shared a look and grinned sheepishly.

"Let's just put it this way, love. No one messes with our friend and gets away with it." Blaise said, grabbing a fork and diving into the pie.

Ethan sat back down and grabbed a fork as well. "He deserved what he got."

"So what did Dumbledore say?" Pansy asked, grabbing a fork for herself. "Hmm. Not bad. For Gryffindors." A look from Blaise made the girl clear her throat. Quickly she added, "And, um, you, Jones."

Haley regarded her friends curiously for a moment, but answered anyway. "He was sympathetic, even a little let down because he knew that Leir had a record of being overly obsessive but he still let him in the school anyway out of trust. And obviously, that means Leir's being kicked out once he wakes up. We also talked about my return home on Monday. Apparently, it couldn't have come at a better time." Haley scooted forward and lowered her voice. "And now that I think about it, I think it would be best if this didn't get out. I mean, there's been a lot of rumors going around but no one really knows about its substance so please…"

"Don't worry, Haley. This'll stay with us." Blaise assured his friend. "The rumors can just remain rumors."

Haley received nods of agreement from the other two and she sat back in her seat with relief. "Thanks. I just… if people are constantly going to ask if I'm okay, it'll only make me not okay, you know. I just want this to end here." Haley paused for a moment, letting her words settle as another question entered her brain. "But while we're still talking about, what I do want to know, though, is how you knew what was going on. I mean, I knew Draco was looking for me, but you all seemed to know that something else was happening."

"It started out just him looking for you," Blaise said thoughtfully. "But then Pansy gave him his book back about dark artifacts and then he went ballistic and crazy trying to find you. Apparently he knew about the Immobility Orb you received."

"Yeah… I should've known something was off about it the moment it shocked him. Why does it do that anyway?"

Pansy looked pensive. "Those orbs were meant to be held only by certain handlers. Like in a prison, for instance. If an inmate got their hands on it then they could break its spell. I guess you had to be a handler if you were receiving it as a gift. He must have been very confident that you didn't know what it was to give it to you like that."

"Well from now on, I think I'll be doing my own research on dark artifacts so nothing like this will happen again." Haley said lightly. "Okay. So he knew about the orb, but how did you find me? I mean, the greenhouse isn't exactly a place people go for fun…"

"Ethan had mentioned something about a badger," Blaise continued.

"Actually, the thing was that Draco originally thought it was me who gave you the orb. He just kept going on about how I'm untrustworthy and everything like that. But I told him that it wasn't me and that he should stop badgering me about it. I guess that sparked something in his head because the next thing I knew, we were all running after him as he made his way to the Great Hall trying to find that Valex fellow."

"And then we ran into Ernie MacMillan, that other Hufflepuff boy," Pansy picked up where Ethan had left off. "He was pissed off about being barreled over one too many times by Draco earlier, but he eventually spat out that he had just seen you with Valex. And after that, Draco took off running again."

"So we don't actually know how we got to the greenhouse cause we were just following Draco." Blaise concluded. "But whatever reason it was that he decided to go there, it turned out to be a good one because there you were. And just in the knick of time, too."

"Wow…" Haley let her mind digest everything they had said. "Pure luck I guess. But… I just can't believe Draco would go off on you like that. I mean, I know you have your differences but to suspect you of doing _that_?" She said, looking at Ethan.

"He certainly had grounds to after Ethan _molested_ him." Pansy said, pompously.

Haley was taken aback. "Wait. You what?"

Blaise just shook his head as if to say 'here we go again.'

Ethan looked annoyed as he glared at the girl sitting across the table. "I didn't _molest_ him."

"Yeah, sure. You pulling him aside to a dark corner and groping him doesn't mean you were molesting him. Not one bit." She replied, sarcastically.

"You _what_?" Haley looked at Ethan, incredulously.

"I did no-" Ethan looked at his best friend, exasperated. "Blaise, would you straighten her out?"

Blaise rolled his eyes sighed, ignoring Ethan. "Haley, listen to me. This is what happened. Even though I'm not remotely pleased to repeat the event without Draco apparent, it seems these two blurted enough out to garner your own conclusions. So I'll set the record straight."

Haley listened intently, her curiosity finally about to be satiated in finding out what it was that Ethan did to Draco that tore the two former friends apart.

"Actually," Blaise frowned. "I don't really think I should without Dra-"

"Out with it already!" Haley growled. She waited nearly a month to find out what had happened and she was going to know no matter what.

"Fine. But if he gets angry, I'm blaming you lot." He pointed at each of them. "All right. So in our third year, when Ethan transferred here from Durmstrang-"

"You went to Durmstrang?" Haley asked in astonishment. Ethan merely nodded as Blaise continued on.

"-He, Draco, and I were all friends. And back then, Draco looked rather… delicate, for lack of a better word. Because of this, Ethan was convinced that Draco had to be a girl in disguise. I mean, forget the fact that Draco shared a room with us and even wore the same uniform as us, Ethan still thought Draco was a girl."

This time it was Pansy's turn to interject with a simple utterance of the word "idiot."

However, Haley had to agree. Back then, Draco did seem to have a fragile nature about him, but never would she have assumed him to be a girl. That was just ridiculous. The expression of disbelief was enough to mirror her thoughts.

Blaise continued, ignoring Pansy's comment. "And being the obsessive prick he can be, and because he had a roundabout way of doing things despite how much harder it makes life for him and the people around him, Ethan decided to prove his theory by approaching Draco himself. And instead of asking, like anyone _normal_ person would, he pulled Draco aside and, without an explanation, he patted his chest."

Blaise demonstrated said 'patting' on himself, drawing a gape from Haley, a scoff from Pansy, and an eye-roll from Ethan.

"Of course, Draco was surprised but that wasn't what set him off. When Ethan finally explained what the hell it was he was doing, that he actually thought Draco to be a _girl_, Draco was furious. Can you imagine? One of your friends actually thinking you to be a girl when you're not? When they should _know_ that you're not? And the way that Ethan went about it didn't help at all. Draco was embarrassed by the whole thing, and then Ethan went on to say how much he _liked_ Draco and that he couldn't think of any other explanation for his attraction to him except that Draco _must_ be a girl. Of course that was then. We all know why he's twisted now." Blaise wryly said with a smirk.

"Ha. Ha." The other boy replied, dryly.

"Anyway, the look on Draco's face said it all. Too embarrassed and annoyed by what Ethan had said and done, Draco just cut him off. And they've never been the same since."

Slowly, Haley turned to look at Ethan. "That _can't_ be true…"

"Unfortunately, it is." Ethan huffed. "I apologized numerous times, but he didn't seem to care. And he's the type to hold a grudge. You've seen what he's like with me. Consider dealing with that for the past _four_ years."

Haley sympathized with Ethan. She knew what it was like being on Draco's bad end. She briefly worried if that was how things were going to play out once she returned to being Harry, but Ethan drew her attention back onto him.

"Anyway, I just stopped caring after a while. He clearly doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, so it just became easier to antagonize him when I could since he liked to do it to me whenever _he_ could."

"I _still_ think you're an idiot." Pansy threw in her two cents. "Who makes that kind of assumption?"

"I was young," Ethan groaned. "I didn't understand my feelings at the time and it's not like they teach this sort of thing here. There are no classes about what you're supposed to do when you like your same-sex friend."

"Well certainly not _that_," Haley jabbed. She couldn't help herself. She was too amused by the whole thing. She even found herself smiling.

"Ha, ha. Just let all out, all of you." Ethan exasperated with a sweep of his arms. "I've had enough of this rubbish."

"You can't blame us, mate," Blaise said with a smirk. "What you did was just _crazy_. Looking back on it, you _have_ to laugh."

"Well since it cost me one of my friends, and a close friend at that, I'm sure you'll understand my lack of enthusiasm. The fact that he now considers me _tolerable_ seems like a feat in itself."

"He said that?" Pansy perked, but in doubt.

"Yes. He did."

"Wow…" Blaise mused. "Look out Haley. Seems you have some competition springing up."

Ethan merely glared at the blonde.

"Actually, there's no competition to be held. It's clear to me that there's no _way_ I could ever be with him. We're of two different worlds and they're just too different to ever collide."

"What?" Pansy and Blaise both stared.

"I like him. I _really_ do. But… I've come to terms with the fact that he and I will only ever just be friends and I'm fine that."

"But you've got it all wrong! He cares about you!" Pansy frowned.

"I don't doubt that. But it's obviously not in the way I want him to."

Pansy shook her head fervently. "No! Listen to me, Har-"

Blaise's eyes widened and he immediately clamped his hand over the girl's. He glanced around the room, and luckily, there weren't that many people left in the common room and the ones who were still around didn't seem to have heard Pansy's slip.

Haley on the other hand was just hit with another mind-staggering blow. "What did you just call me?"

"Ha-Haley. Of course."

"No, no." Again, Haley moved forward and lowered her voice. "You were just about to call me Harry…"

"No, you were just hearing things," Blaise tried to dismiss it.

"Do you know about me?" She asked, stern.

Pansy grimaced. "…Yes?"

In a flash, Haley sat up and looked between the boys. "All right! Which one of you told her?" She looked at Blaise. "It was probably _you_, wasn't it? I know how much you like her and you decided to show off by telling, didn't you?"

"No! That's preposterous! I would never!"

"You like me?" Pansy glanced at the flustered boy.

Blaise shrugged uncomfortably. "…Maybe. I certainly don't _hate_ you."

Pansy just smiled, which seemed to settle Blaise's nerves as he smiled back.

"Sorry to break the heart-warming moment, but can someone _please_ tell me why everyone around this table seems to know who I am?"

"It was _his_ fault." The smaller girl pointed.

Ethan looked over his shoulders. When he realized that it was just him she was referring to, his expression was one of surprise. "Me? What did _I_ do?"

"I heard you call her by her real name just after Christmas. It was when you had some sort of flipping-out moment and you scurried away to your photo lab."

"So you followed me," Ethan frowned.

"Technically, I was following _her_. _She's_ my friend and I didn't want you to get your grubby hands on her."

Ethan just sneered at the girl, who merely mirrored the expression.

"So wait… you're okay with it?" Haley said, testing the waters.

"Well yeah. At first, I wasn't so sure. But then I heard what you said to that idiot Finnegan. I really appreciated you sticking up for me like that, despite how terrible I've been to you. And after that, I just thought about how even though you lied about who you are on the outside, you couldn't _possibly_ be lying about who you are inside, especially since you really are a," she lowered her voice, "Gryffindor."

Haley simply scoffed.

"I figured that it wouldn't be so bad having you as a friend after all this, even if you did continue the charade."

Haley had a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "You Slytherins surprise me every day…But wait…" The smile quickly vanished. "If you knew it was me all that time, then why did you suggest I confront Draco? You knew he couldn't possibly care about me as I am so why would you do that?" Haley was referring to being Harry.

"I honestly didn't think that would matter," Pansy replied. She was referring to Harry being Haley. "I thought he liked you for you and that something as simple as this wouldn't matter."

Haley shook her head. "Well it doesn't matter now. He obviously wants nothing more than to just be friends and I'm okay with that."

"Harry, I don't think-" Blaise tried.

"And I'm _okay_ with that." She reiterated.

"But Harry-" This time it was Pansy who tried.

"_Please_. Just stop. Right now it still hurts to even see him. But I'm okay with just being friends. I don't need any more than that. And I know you guys think I'm right for him, for whatever reason, but I'm clearly not. And I've come to terms with that and I've accepted it. So _please_… accept it, too."

Pansy shook her head. "But Harry-"

"No buts."

The pair in front of her looked at each other and simultaneously sighed.

"All right." Pansy frowned.

"Yeah, okay." Blaise nodded.

"Good." Haley sat back in her seat. The air seemed to shift directions again, but Haley was determined to shift it again. "So Ethan's an idiot, right?"

"Oh, ha ha." he sneered.

Blaise and Pansy both lightened up and agreed. Haley smiled at her success.

Ethan, on the other hand, slumped in his chair, shoveling another bit of the pie in his mouth. He leered at the people around him and shook his head in vexation. "…I hate you all."

--

It was just after midnight when Draco heard a knock on his door. He didn't want to move. He felt that the one chance he might've had to be with the love of his life just flew out the window. His eyes were raw from the tears of anger and sadness that he had spilt and he simply felt spent. He was angry with Leir for what he almost did. He was angry with himself for not realizing the danger sooner. He was angry moreover with himself for not telling Harry how he felt when he had the chance. And now? The opportunity to admit his true feelings seemed to be on the wrong side of a closing door. So when Draco heard that knock on his door just after midnight, the last thing he felt like doing was going to answer it. But in realizing the time of night it was, he concluded that this knock had to be important. And if it weren't, Draco was determined to unleash his sour mood on the poor fool who knocked on the wrong door.

He hopped off his bed and begrudgingly walked to his door. He flung it open, expecting a victim to yell at, but he was surprised when no one was there. In fact, it seemed that everyone in the common room had retreated for the night. And just as his anger began to boil, he was surprised yet again when his toe lightly kicked a small box in front of it. Draco looked around, but in seeing no one, he picked it up and closed the door. Scribbled on the top was a note, presumably from its sender. It read, "To Draco- Thanks for protecting me. I will always cherish you and the friendship we share. –Love H."

A weight lifted from Draco's back, and his heart skipped several beats. He opened the box. Inside was a small cake, red velvet with white frosting. Under the lid was another note. "P. S. I got you a small one so you won't get fat… P. S. S. I made this one myself… so don't crush it this time. –H."

Draco smiled. His door felt like it just opened a little more.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught the Harry Potter characters, but instead the characters Maxwell, Valex, Mavillian, and McClarin. Yes. And this story. Yes.

Dude. You should never tell Pansy anything. She's likely to let it slip. But it's not intentional. She really is trying to be a good friend, but she has a habit of not thinking before she speaks. Haha. And that's how I always pictured her. Yes. And yes, Ethan and Draco are on the verge of becoming, not friends, but not enemies. I think he deserves a break for kicking some Valex ass. Everything in this chapter is stuff that needed to be said. Yes. And… what'll become of Draco and Harry's relationship? You'll just have to wait and see. But I like a good dose of angst as much as the next fanfic writer so… be forewarned. And like always, please review!

Yes.


	29. Pent Up Aggression

The Exchange – Pent Up Aggression

* * *

After a quiet breakfast that she enjoyed, avoiding Draco, Haley made her way over to the library so she could finish up her assignments, all the while avoiding Draco. And once she gave up on that, she ducked out of the library and sped all the way to the common room, making sure to avoid Draco. And just as she reached the door to her room, after checking over her shoulders so she could further avoid Draco, Haley felt a tap on her shoulder from none other than… Pansy.

"You're acting awfully strange today…" the girl noted. "You seem rather paranoid, in fact."

"Oh," Haley smiled, relieved that it wasn't Draco she was currently confronted with. "I'm just trying to get ready for the transformation back. I've some things to sort out and I just needed some time to myself."

"Oh. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Actually, Pansy, you might be able to help me out with something."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "It's not more Draco nonsense, is it?"

"No. I'm pretty sure I can handle that on my own now. It's about something else." Haley opened her door and held it open so Pansy could go in. The other girl just looked at her curiously. "What are you waiting for? Come on."

"You want me to go into your room…?"

"Clearly."

"What are we going to do?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Honestly Pansy, if we're going to be friends from now on, you're going to have to learn how to trust me."

"Ugh, fine." The smaller girl stomped past Haley and stopped in the middle of the room. "Here I am. Now what?"

"Would you be willing to take any of these clothes off my hands?"

Pansy was taken aback. "What?"

The taller girl pointed at the pile on her bed. It was made up of the various articles of clothing that she had worn during her time at Hogwarts as a girl. "I've gone through the whole pile and I've decided to keep a few things, like the jackets and some sweaters, and there are some things I haven't worn yet either than I can return, but everything else needs to go."

"You want me to wear _your_ clothes?"

Haley frowned. "Well if you're too high and mighty for them-"

"I didn't mean it like that Jo- Pott-…whatever."

Haley studied the girl. "You've never shared clothes before, Pansy?"

"Of course not. I have my own."

"Well _I_ have my own, but that doesn't stop me from taking a sweater from Ron every now and again."

"Why would you want to?"

Haley sighed. "I'm going to ignore that."

"Again, not what I meant. Really, Potter, if _we're_ going to be friends you really need to stop taking everything I say the wrong way."

"Oh. Sorry."

"But now that you mention it, why would you _want_ to?"

The other girl just rolled her eyes. "What's the problem anyway? I thought girls shared clothes all the time. I know Lavender and Pavarti do it all the time."

"Well consider who I'd be sharing with, Potter. My only friends are boys. And even if I had any girl friends, most of the girls here are twice my size. Look at Blustrode. Do you honestly think I can fit into her tents? I don't think so."

"So then here you go! Prime opportunity to snatch up some clothes from a gal pal of yours."

Pansy walked over to the pile on the bed and glanced at the clothes. "This is really okay then?"

"Sure," Haley shrugged. "I'll have no use for them after this, obviously. Really now, can you honestly picture the real me wearing a skirt day to day?"

"Well it does accentuate the prancing…"

"I do _not-_"

"Kidding." Pansy smiled smugly. "All right then."

Pansy proceeded to look through the pile of clothes frowning at some articles and placing others into a growing pile next to her. Haley on the other hand tried to finish up her work that she had started in the library.

"I thought you said you had skirts." Pansy commented.

"I do. I just never wore them. If you want to look at them, they're in that bag over there." She motioned to the bag near her door.

Pansy hopped off the bed and peeked into it. "Geez, Potter. Just how much money do you really have? You were really able to buy all this with no problems?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I inherited my parents' fortunes… as well as Sirius'. So I guess I have some spending room."

"So if you have all this money, why do you still dress in those raggedy shirts you're always wearing?"

"They're not raggedy."

Pansy only retorted with a scoff.

"Look," Haley said, ignoring the noise, "I was brought up having very little. _Needing_ very little. I guess when I inherited all that money, the idea of needing little just stuck me. I never found the need to buy all these fancy things. I'm content with what I already have."

"Whatever makes you happy…" Pansy shrugged, seemingly having lost interest in the topic. She picked up a skirt from the bag, looked at the tag inside, and tossed it into her pile. "I can just buy this from you, right? It'll be the same as you returning it."

Haley shrugged. "Sure."

"So…" the smaller girl glanced at Haley cautiously. "How are you?"

She shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"Really?" Pansy cocked an eyebrow.

"Of course, not really," Haley frowned. "Just yesterday I was betrayed by someone who I thought was my friend and I've been riding a torrent of emotions ever since I transformed into this forsaken body. _Plus, _I've just been rejected by the first person I've ever really liked in a long time so not only do I feel betrayed, but humiliated as well. Of course I'm not fine. I doubt I'll be _fine _for a while. But there's nothing to do about it but move on."

"Well… I can't help with what's already happened… but maybe I can help you in some other way…"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Pansy smirked. "You'll see. Let's go!"

---

In seeing the way the girl ducked around the nearest corner ever time he came around a bend, Draco was sure that Harry was currently avoiding him. This was expected. He knew that she was still hurt by his supposed rejection and would therefore do as any other teen would do in that situation. Draco had expected this so he thought of something else to do in the mean time. This is what had brought him to the Hospital Wing. He had some business to take care of.

Draco exhaled and prepared himself for what he was about to do. With one last shake of his arms, he was ready. "Madame Pomfrey!" He burst through the doors, calling for the nurse.

"Mister Malfoy? What is it? What's wrong?" The older woman stood from her desk, concern in her eyes.

"There's a first year on the grounds. Slipped on black ice. I would've carried him here, but I was afraid he might've cracked something."

"Good, Mister Malfoy. Where exactly is he?"

"Just outside the front entrance. He's with another prefect."

"All right." The nurse grabbed her coat. "Don't worry, first year! I'm on my way!" Without another moment's hesitation, Madame Pomfrey was out the door, leaving Draco behind with the only occupant of the infirmary. He smiled at his performance as he closed the doors behind the nurse.

'That'll give me a few minutes… that's all I need anyway.' And with that, Draco approached the sleeping figure, currently unaware of what was waiting for it. Draco gave the bed a little kick, effectively waking its occupant.

"Morning sunshine." His voice was cold and filled with malice. "Yesterday, you had a taste of round one with my two cohorts. But that was yesterday." Draco cracked his knuckles and leaned over the fearful body that was Leir Valex. "Welcome to round two."

---

"I have to admit, Pansy. I thought you had gone a little mad earlier when you told me what we'd be doing, but I have to give it to you. This does help quite a bit." Haley smiled at the other girl.

"See? I find that whenever I've got stress built up in the masses, it's always best to release said stress with mass amounts of aggression." Pansy held a plate in her hands and threw it hard against the wall.

The two girls had made their way from the Slytherin dorms to the Divination classroom. With the permission of Professor Trelawny and the promise to fix everything they broke, Pansy showed Haley the art of releasing tension via china decimation. Every cup and plate Haley had ever scrubbed that night with Ethan had been a victim to the girls' force.

Apparently, this was a frequent occurrence of Pansy's. "That's why I'm practically an expert at the _Reparo_ spell," she had said with a smirk. Haley was getting in enough practice on the spell herself.

"Okay this time," Pansy smiled, pausing Haley mid-toss, "this time, Draco's sitting over here and the badger is sitting over there." She pointed at two separate seats in the class.

At that, Haley grabbed another plate, one for each hand, and tossed them at the appropriate chairs. She repeated this several times until she was content with all the stress she had released. As the plates came hurdling through the air, Haley laughed at the loud crashes when they finally hit the walls. She certainly felt better than she had earlier. Who knew that age-old violence was the key to feeling better? As her laughter died down, Haley repaired the shattered plates and directed them back into their cupboards. She looked at the smaller girl who had just finished doing the same.

"Thanks, Pansy." Haley smiled at her friend. "This was… surprisingly fun."

Pansy smiled in return. "Well from now on, if ever you have some pent up aggression you need to let out, you can always count on me."

"Thanks. I'll hold you to it."

The two girls thanked their Divination Professor and after getting a quick prediction from the older woman about a flying monkey, they left the classroom. On their way back to the Slytherin common room, Haley was ready to duck behind the nearest corner out of habit in seeing the blond Head Boy, but she restrained herself when she spotted Professor Snape walking alongside him wearing an expression of malcontent that mirrored that of his student's.

"Draco?" Pansy called out. Haley flinched. She didn't really want to be spotted, but she remained where she was nonetheless.

Grey eyes darted in the direction of his name. He quickly glanced at Pansy, but in seeing her companion, his eyes locked with green irises. Haley's own expression turned to one of confusion. Draco saw this and merely smirked his trademark smirk before turning his attention back to the potions master as they continued down the corridor.

"What… happened…?" Haley uttered as she watched the pair turn the corner.

"Apparently, he played an awful trick on Madame Pomfrey."

The two girls turned in hearing the voice. Pansy immediately frowned, but Haley politely greeted the oncoming Ethan.

"Why would he do that?" She asked.

Ethan shrugged. "If I had to guess, it was probably so he could be alone in the room with her only patient. I'm assuming he applied a similar brand of justice on the badger that Blaise and myself did."

"Oh," was all she could think to say.

"Well serves him right," Pansy said, crossing her arms over her chest. "The badger should think twice before messing with us."

Haley frowned. "I think I should go see him."

"Are you crazy?" Pansy turned, exasperated at the other girl. Ethan didn't say a word, but his face mirrored the same emotion as the smaller Slytherin. "After what he did to you, the last thing you should be doing is visiting him in the infirmary."

"It's not like I'm going there to give him a cookie..."

Pansy's frown held strong, despite understanding. "Well you go do what you have to. I'd rather not set my sights on someone so… perverted." She took a long glance at Ethan, making the boy sneer.

"I thought we were past this, Parkinson."

"Oh we are. But I'd rather keep my guard up than be randomly attacked by you."

"As if I'd ever want anything to do with _you_."

"All right, all right." Haley stopped the pair before they could start hurling insults left and right. "That's enough of both of you."

"Fine. I'll see you later, Haley. I still want to finish going through the bags."

"Right. Later, then."

Pansy turned and disappeared into the common room.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ethan asked. "I mean… it's only been a day…"

"I'm sure. I don't think I'll feel any better if I don't have some sort of closure with Leir."

Having made up her mind, Haley turned and headed for the hospital wing. She soon heard footsteps following after.

"I'm going with you," Ethan determined, falling in step with the girl. "…For support."

"I'll be fine."

"Still…"

The pair made their way to the infirmary doors and walked in. Upon seeing who it was, Madame Pomfrey immediately stood from her seat and stopped the pair.

"No. No more visitors for Mister Valex. Especially from you," she emphasized, pointing at Ethan.

"I just want to talk to him," Haley tried. "I think I deserve that much after what he almost did to me."

"Fine. You can go, Miss Jones, but Mister Maxwell has to wait outside."

Ethan just rolled his eyes. "Whatever…" He complied and stepped back outside.

Once the doors were closed, the older woman looked at Haley. "I'll be sitting right here so don't try anything funny. I had enough problems with Mister Malfoy this morning."

Curious, Haley paused. "What happened? What did he do?"

"Mister Malfoy tricked me into leaving my post by telling me about some poor first year. But of course there was no first year so by the time I got back, Mister Valex's bruises that I had healed from yesterday had returned with vigor."

"Oh…"

"That's some friends you've got there, deary."

Haley smiled. "I know."

"That wasn't exactly a compliment."

Haley quickly suppressed her grin. "So what's going to happen to Draco?"

"I left that to Professor Snape. I believe a detention was in the works."

"Oh."

"I doubt he'll get any worse, though. Knowing what Mister Valex did and all…" The nurse's expression quickly turned to that of concern and pity. "I'm truly sorry that it had to happen to you, deary."

Haley nodded slowly. "Yeah me too… I'll just go see him now…"

Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat loudly, effectively pausing Haley as she was about to enter. "Although I don't condone what he did to you, Mister Potter, please try to restrain yourself from doing that boy any more harm than he's already received."

Again, Haley nodded. "I'll do my best."

The Slytherin entered the ward and her eyes quickly focused on the figure in the bed. He was asleep again, probably to numb himself from the pain it looked like he was in. His face was scratched, his head was wrapped in a bandage, his arm was in a sling and his leg was in a splint. Despite herself, Haley couldn't help but smile at what her friends had done for her. She took a seat on the bed next to his.

"Leir."

His eyes slowly opened and when he realized who it was who had called him, his face was a mixture of joy and fear. "Haley…"

"Don't look so happy, Valex. I'm not here to bring you soup." Her voice was as cold as the glare she was giving him. "I'm under surveillance right now so you should be happy that I'm not allowed to hurt you right now."

"That's a lie. You came to visit me. Despite what I've done, you still care enough to-"

"Shut up." She did her best to remain calm. She quickly got up and bent over the injured boy. "Listen to me very carefully, Leir Valex. You've messed with the wrong person. The pain my friends have put you through is _nothing_ compared to what _I'm _capable of. Here's a quick history. I'm very skilled at all _three _unforgivable spells. I've faced dementors and death eaters. I've gone up against trolls, giant spiders, dragons, snakes and mermaids and I'm not talking about the fairy tale kinds. I've gone face-to-face with the Dark Lord himself. I've even had to face obnoxious relatives. You better hope that I never cross paths with you again. And if you haven't figured it out yet, _Valex_," Haley pushed aside her bangs to reveal her scar, "I'm Harry Potter." She lowered her voice again to a near growl. "You _so _messed with the wrong person."

As she stood back up, Leir could only stare with wide eyes. "Ha-Harry P-P-Potter?!"

"The one and only."

"S-So those rumors… they were true?!"

"Unfortunately."

Just then, a smile crept up on his face. "But now I know your secret. I'll tell the world how Harry Potter's a girl."

Haley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't actually think I'm that stupid, do you? I just wanted to let you know what you got yourself into, if only for a second."

"Wha-what are you going to-"

And before Leir could even make a sound, Haley pulled out her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the boy. "_Obliviate_."

A stream of silver light was released, hitting its target dead on. Leir's eyes momentarily unfocused before returning to their normal state. He stared at Haley for a moment as his expression read that of fear and joy. "Ha-Haley… you came to see me despite what I did?"

Haley smiled at her skill, but quickly returned her expression back into an icy stare. "Technically yes, but that's only so I could give you this." Again, she held up her wand and pointed it directly at her offender.

"Wait! No-"

"_Furnuncular_!"

"Miss Jones!" Madame Pomfrey fled into the room upon hearing Leir's cry. She looked between the boil-ridden Leir and the particularly smug Haley and came up with her own conclusions. "I thought you merely came to talk."

"I'm sorry. I _tried_." Haley shrugged nonchalantly.

The nurse merely pursed her lips together and pointed at the exit. "Detention tonight. Go. Now."

Haley did as she was told. Just before she left the room, she heard the nurse say in a rather loud voice, "I don't know _how_ I'll be able to remove these…" Haley looked back at Madame Pomfrey who only offered the girl a small, sly smile.

As she closed the door behind her, Haley grinned, knowing full well that the nurse knew _exactly_ how to remove them. She was happy knowing Leir will have to suffer a bit more, at least until someone finally felt pity for him.

Ethan stood from where he was sitting in the hall as he saw his friend approaching. "Was it just my imagination or did I hear a yelp of sorts?" He asked.

Again, Haley just shrugged. "Pansy was right. Sometimes violence really is the best way to let out pent up aggression."

Ethan simply smiled. "You sure you're a Gryffindor?"

Haley walked along with a spring in her step. "Of course I am. I made sure those boils I gave him were only _semi-_permanent."

"You really _are_ evil, aren't you?"

"Only when necessary. No one messes with me and gets away with it." Haley stated matter-of-factly.

Ethan nodded, a smile still playing on his lips. "I'll be sure to remember that."

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught the Harry Potter characters, but instead the characters Maxwell, Valex, Mavillian, and McClarin. Yes. And this story. Yes.

Today is a happy day. So since I am happy today, maybe this will make _you_ happy today, although I am sure this would've made you even happier if 1) it had arrived EARLIER (shame, shame on me) and if 2) Draco and Harry admitted their love for each other already and went to their "special" place to have "special" time. Haha. Alas, I've been distracted by a number of… things and this chapter was actually hard to come up with because I didn't even realize what this chapter was going to be. But once I got started, I knew that there's all this crap going on in Haley's head that she needed to get out and thus, she let out her aggression. Or at least some of it. And you might be wondering why she just didn't _Obliviate_ everyone else who realized her secret, but in most cases, she didn't even know when they realized it so it's not easy to erase a memory when you don't even know when it began. Plus, most of the people who know are people she doesn't mind knowing anyway. I guess. Yes. And as for number 2, if they did _that_ this story would be over. Do you really want that now? When there're so many loose ends? I like to keep my laces tied, thanks.

Thanks for sticking with me! P.S. Did you catch the flying monkey? Haha.


	30. A Replacement

The Exchange – A Replacement

* * *

"Four! _Four!_ How is it possible that not one… not two… not three, but _FOUR_ of _MY_ students are in detention?!"

Professor Snape looked each one of the delinquents in the eye. Sitting in a row were Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Ethan Maxwell, and Haley Jones. None dared make a move or else their detention would be much worse than necessary.

"Miss Jones, I believe you've caused me nothing but trouble since your arrival. Therefore, you will meet Filch on the first floor. You'll be scrubbing toilets for the next three hours. Go. NOW."

Haley quickly got up and stifled a smile. It was rather humorous to her that all four of them had to serve detention all for attacking the same person. But scrubbing toilets were never fun so her smile quickly vanished as she grew nearer to the caretaker.

"Haley, wait up!"

The girl paused and froze slightly as she saw Draco jogging over to her. He didn't look too pleased.

"You've got toilet duty…?" Haley stared.

"Yes. Apparently, as Head Boy, I should know better than to attack an injured person. So yes. I've got toilet duty. But Blaise and Maxwell were the ones who injured him in first place and all they have to do is put away Christmas decorations. Bullocks."

"So… since I've been a pest to him and since you should've known better, we're stuck scrubbing toilets…"

"Seems so."

"Grreeeaaattt…."

"Hey! You two! Move along!" Filch growled from the other end of the hall. When the finally approached, he shoved a bucket and a brush into each of them. "Start on the first floor and make your way up to the seventh. I'll be keeping an eye on your progress so don't even _think_ about trying to run away."

Haley took her bucket and walked into the girls' room, assuming that Draco would take the boys' room. However, it seemed that Draco has his own ideas as he followed her in.

"Draco… this is the girls' room."

He rolled his eyes. "A toilet's a toilet no matter who's pissing in it."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. "Well that _is _true…" She shook her head, bemused. Entering the furthest stall, Haley set out to work.

"So…" Draco started, entering the stall next to his friend. "I noticed you were avoiding me all day."

"No I wasn't…" Haley denied.

"Even through the wall, I know you're lying. Ugh… this is disgusting… I don't see why this is necessary. Isn't this what the house elves are for?"

"It wouldn't be much of a detention if the house elves were doing this for us, Draco. And I _wasn't _avoiding you. I was just very busy today."

"Yeah… busy avoiding me…"

"I was _not_." Draco remained silent. She could almost feel the look of doubt between the stalls. "Okay, fine. So what if I was?"

"You're avoiding me because of the whole thing that happened yesterday, right? Well you never gave me the chance to explain myself. I think I deserve that much."

"There's nothing to explain. You don't feel the same. Enough said. Don't make it more than it has to be." Haley got up flushed the toilet and proceeded to clean the next one. 'Plus,' she thought to herself. 'I don't need to hear you say you could never love me as Harry…'

"Of _course_ there's more to explain." He too flushed the toilet and moved on to the next. "The reason why I can't love you is because-"

"Because you're in love with someone else, right?" Even though the words came out of her mouth, it still pained her to say them.

"Uh, well yeah, but-"

"Well then… that's that. I can't make you change the way you feel about this person, right?"

"Well no… not really…"

"And I don't see the point in even trying to." Haley poked her head out of her stall and looked at Draco in the one next to her. "Let's just think of my little outburst as a momentary lapse of good judgment." She forced a playful smile.

"But Haley-"

"I mean, _really_. What else could it have been? Why else would I spout something as atrocious as _that_ if I really _hadn't_ gone temporarily insane?" She joked.

"Haley-"

"So _please_ Draco, just forget it happened."

He didn't seem convinced.

Haley sighed and frowned. She looked away from the boy. "Draco… how would you feel if you dumped all your emotions onto the lap of your mystery girl and she didn't return your feelings?"

"…I suppose I'd feel rather awful…"

Haley looked back up into the solemn face that was Draco's. "Okay then. Now you sort of know how I feel. So let's change topics."

"I… all right."

Haley returned to her toilet. "So who is this mystery girl, anyway?"

"Hmph. If I told you that, it wouldn't be much of a mystery now would it?"

The girl rolled her eyes at the evasive answer. "Okay fine. Answer me this, then. Why haven't you told mystery girl how you feel yet?"

"Well… I guess it's because in the past, I was pretty sure mystery… girl… despised me."

"And now?"

"And now… I'm not exactly sure anymore."

"But that's a good thing right?"

"Mmmaybe. I've done some pretty stupid things…"

"No surprise there…"

"Not helping."

"I'm just saying…"

"_Anyway_…I just don't know what to do anymore. Despite her not hating me _now_, I think that could radically change within the next few days… maybe weeks if I'm lucky."

Haley frowned. "Why?"

Draco was quiet. Even his scrubbing ceased. Then, "…Haley, answer me seriously. Would you rather be loved for the person you are on the inside? Or would you be happy in being loved for the person circumstances have made of you?"

"That's easy. I want to be loved for who I really am."

"Right. Good."

"I can't say that it'll work out that well for _you_ though," Haley smirked. "I mean, you _are _somewhat of an arse."

"Piss off."

Haley just laughed to herself.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Just so you know… I _do_ love you…"

Despite herself, Haley felt her insides warm. "…Yeah…"

"So… if it'll help… I'll stay away for a little longer, _just a little bit_… if it means I can have my friend back." He poked his head around the stall and looked at the girl next to him. "Deal?"

She offered him a small smile. "…Deal."

Draco smiled in return, but frowned almost immediately after. "Hey… you can avoid _me_ all you want. That doesn't mean you have to take it out on your necklace."

Haley blinked. "What?"

"Your necklace. You took it off." He nodded at her neck.

"No I didn't…" Instinctively, she reached up and felt her skin. It was bare. Frantically, she looked around her.

"Wait. You di-"

"I never took it off. I _wouldn't_. I didn't even notice… I must've grown used to it… But I never…" She stood and looked in the stalls she had scrubbed. She looked around the entire room, but to no avail. She was beginning to feel a little frantic. "Draco, I'm sorry! I don't know what happened!"

"Look, it's all right. You must've just dropped it somewhere. When did you last see it?"

"I don't know! It just slipped my mind… so many things have happened I just…"

"It's all right, Haley. We can look for it later. If we don't finish these toilets, Filch will give us double duty for sure."

Even with his reassurance, Haley still didn't lighten up as she continued her scrubbing. Her neck suddenly felt naked without the piece. 'He had given it to me… it was my present and I lost it as if it were some random trinket… I can't believe this… where could it be?'

After a moment of silence, Draco spoke up. "If it means that much to you, Haley, I'll just have another one made…"

"No!" Haley snapped. "It's not the same… I'll find it. I promise."

"Haley, it's not a big-"

"I'll _find_ it."

"…Okay."

Haley scrubbed with vigor. She wanted to finish the restrooms as soon as possible to begin her search. 'It may be dispensable to him, but it's irreplaceable to me! It's proof that even though Draco is unwilling to accept _Harry_ as a friend, he was willing to keep _Haley_ as one, and that's good enough for me. I can't _believe_ I lost it!'

The toilets of Hogwarts were cleaned in record time after that, with Haley having scrubbed more than half of them just so she and Draco could hurry on to the next room. And even once they had finished and dropped off their supplies at the caretaker's office, Haley made a mad dash for the Slytherin dorms, leaving Draco long and far behind, much to the latter's chagrin.

Haley immediately charged into her room and began searching the place. She left no pillow unturned, no pocket unsearched and yet, she still couldn't find her necklace. When she felt she had gone over her room enough times, Haley slumped onto her now disheveled bed in defeat.

'Where could it be? I didn't take it off so it must've fallen… but when? And where?' She was just about ready to search somewhere else when a knock came upon her door.

"Jones? You in there?"

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Pansy.

"Yeah. Come on in."

The girl did as she was told and upon seeing the room, Pansy's eyes widened with surprise. "Wow… redecorating?"

"I was trying to find my necklace."

Pansy took a careful step over Haley's schoolbooks and stood next to the bedpost. "Your necklace?"

"Yeah. It's gold with a ruby. Draco gave it to me."

Pansy pouted. "Draco never gave _me_ any jewelry."

"Did you see it?"

Pansy thought about it. "Well… now that you mention it, I do recall you twiddling with it yesterday morning when you came to see me…"

"Really? So I had it yesterday for sure?"

The smaller girl nodded.

Haley's hopes were rising but suddenly they drooped once more. "But since then I've been running around _everywhere_…"

"Sorry, mate. That's all I remember…"

"I guess I'll just keep searching…" Again, Haley slumped in her seated potion on her bed.

"It's getting dark now. You should probably hold off your search until tomorrow. You can retrace your steps and all."

"I suppose you're right." Haley looked back up at Pansy and shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry, Pansy. Did you come here for something?"

"Hm? Oh right. The clothes-"

"Oh! Of course! Sorry. My mind is just so cluttered right now. Here." Haley stood and grabbed one of the bags she had dumped out in her search. She had set aside Pansy's selections on her trunk after carefully going through them to make sure the necklace hadn't fallen into the pile. She placed the clothes in the bag and handed them over.

"How much was it for the stuff I picked out?"

"Don't worry about it."

"What?" Pansy looked perplexed. "But I thought-"

"You've helped me out quite a bit these past few weeks. I really appreciate it."

"So you're _giving_ it to me?"

Haley shrugged. "It's the least I can do."

"You're really something, you know that?"

"So I've heard…"

Pansy accepted the bag and made her was back towards the door. She paused before opening it. "Tomorrow… if you want… I'll help you look for your necklace. I know it means a lot to you."

Haley smiled. "Thanks Pansy. You're a good friend."

A little blush crept up the smaller girl's face, but she left without another word, closing the door behind her.

Haley looked at the mess around her and sighed. With the flick of her wrist, she began to put her things back in their proper places. She suddenly realized how disgusting she felt for having scrubbed so many toilets and headed into her bath.

'It's just a necklace…' Haley tried to reason as she shampooed her hair. 'He even said he would replace it if need be… but…' She closed her eyes and let the water drip over her head. 'It's what the necklace means that makes it so important to me. He gave it to me, asking me to cherish him…'

She opened her eyes, a dull sadness coming over her. 'No. He gave it to Haley, wanting Haley to cherish him. Did he give it me, knowing who I really am though? If he did, what does that mean? Are Haley and Harry really just two different people to him? When I change back, will we still be the rivals we had become?'

So many questions swirled in her head. She finished her bath without answering any one of them. She just didn't know the answers. Haley readied herself for bed whilst tidying up the last bit of her things. And just as the last of her belongings were put away, a light knock came upon her door.

'It's getting pretty late…' Haley frowned. Still, she opened her door. "Hello."

"Hi." Draco replied.

"Did you need something?"

"I just… I wanted you to…" Draco exhaled. "I know it's not the same as the one I gave you, but here," the boy pulled out a necklace from within his pocket. Actually, it was just a ring and a piece of string, but he held it out to his friend anyway. "Think of it as a placeholder for the time being."

Haley took the makeshift necklace into her hands and peered at the ring with curiosity.

"It's my family crest," Draco said, answering her unspoken question. "Just… hang on to it until you get your other one back."

Although the thought warmed her heart, Haley shook her head and held out the necklace so Draco could take it back. "I can't take this, Draco."

"Sure you can. I'm giving it to you as a temporary. You seemed pretty upset earlier, and I know it's not the same thing, but… just wear it. I gave you the other one as a sign of our friendship and now I'm loaning you this for the same reason. So that way… they sort of mean the same thing. You know?" The expression on her face clearly read that she was lost. Draco tried again. "If I know you're wearing this one, then it's like you're wearing the other one… meaning you don't hate me and that our promise still holds strong. Makes sense?"

A smile slowly crept up on Haley's face. "I thought it didn't matter. It was something you could easily replace."

Draco shrugged. "It is. Haley, it's not the necklace that you're wearing that matters to me. It's the reasons why you're wearing it that I care about. So in the mean time, that is if you _don't_ hate me and you _do still_ cherish me, wear this one. Just for now."

Haley glimpsed at the necklace and pretended to think hard about the request.

"Oh, come on, you faker." He snatched the necklace out of her hand and put it on for her. "There."

She smiled as she looked at the ring. Then she looked back up at her friend. "Thank you, Draco. I _will_ find it, you know."

Draco smiled back. "I know you will. Just try not to lose this one, too, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

And without warning, Draco grabbed Haley's wrist and pulled her into a hug, rending the surprised girl speechless. He held her tightly, resting his head on top of hers.

"Draco, what-"

"You look like you needed one." Before she could reply, he spoke again. "Never mind. I lied. _I_ was the one that needed it..."

Haley smiled at the words and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She wrapped her arms around his torso and returned the embrace. The two stood there like that for a little more.

Draco inhaled deeply. "…You smell good."

"I just took a bath."

"Ah. That makes sense. Cause normally you smell horri-"

She shoved him away before he could finish his sentence, causing the boy to take a few steps back, all the while with a smile on his face.

"I'm joking, Jones."

"You better be or else the necklace comes off."

"All right, all right," he conceded. He smiled softly at his friend. "Good night, Haley."

"Good night, Draco."

She watched the boy walk to his own room and disappear behind his door before she closed her own. Feeling rather content, Haley walked over to her bed and collapsed into it. Carefully placing her glasses on her nightstand, she stared at the canopy above while playing with her new necklace in her hands.

'If anything… he still wants me as his friend. Whether or not he's separating Haley from Harry, this friendship still really means something to him.' She smiled and closed her eyes. 'Good…' She thought, reaching for a pillow and hugging it to her chest. "…Cause it means the _world_ to me…'

And with that thought, she let her dreams overtake her.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught the Harry Potter characters, but instead the characters Maxwell, Valex, Mavillian, and McClarin. Yes. And this story. Yes.

I would like to type something profound and awe-inspiring here, but I'm going to be late for work. So instead, here is a sideways happy face :) Cheerio!


	31. The Long and Tedious Search

The Exchange – The Long and Tedious Search

* * *

Haley awoke the next day with a mission in mind. She had to retrace her steps in order to find her missing necklace. It was the last day of the year and she was convinced that it would be found before the day was through.

'I just hope no one took it cause then I'll _never_ get it back… or at least not without using any persuasion… maybe even force.' But if it meant getting her necklace back, she'd do it. She had already made up her mind on that.

"Okay," Haley thought aloud. "Yesterday, I woke up, got dressed and went to the great hall. I'll start there."

She did as planned and walked slowly to the great hall, making sure to watch the ground for any glints of gold she might walk by. Blaise spotted her moving one step at a time as if she were on a balance beam. Amused, Blaise came up behind the girl and mimicked her motions as if they were in a line.

"Mind telling me what we're doing?" Blaise mused, still following the girl.

Haley snapped out of her stupor and turned around to see Blaise. "Oh. Hello."

He smiled at his friend. "Hello, yourself."

"I…am retracing my steps."

"Why, may I ask, are you retracing your steps?"

"I lost my necklace and I'm on a mission to find it today."

"You mean the one you got from Draco?"

"Yes."

"That's not it around your neck?"

"Of course not. I'm not the type of person who looks for their glasses while they're sitting on top of my head."

"Well, I don't know. You could be."

"_Anyway_, this is just a temporary necklace he gave me. That is until I find my actual one."

"Ah. I see… Care for another set of eyes, then?"

"Sure! That would be brilliant."

And so, the two slowly made their way to the great hall. Haley walked past the other houses' seats and came up to her usual spot at the Slytherin table. She looked around and under the bench, getting on all fours just to be efficient. Blaise followed suit, making it quite an interesting sight to see two seventh year students on their hands and knees crawling around the floor.

At least it was rather strange to Pansy when she approached the table for breakfast. She got down on her hands and knees as well near Blaise.

"What's all this?" She whispered to the boy.

"We're looking for Harry's necklace," he whispered back. "Care to join us?"

"Sure, okay."

So all three friends were on the floor searching for Haley's missing necklace. However, it was nowhere to be seen in the great hall. Haley sighed and stood back up. Blaise and Pansy, too, decided to get up off the floors as well.

"Oh. Pansy. I didn't know you were here." Haley blinked.

"Well here I am, at your service."

The taller girl smiled. "Right. Thank you."

"So where now?" Blaise asked.

"Well… after I had breakfast here, I went to the library to work on some of my assignments." Haley replied, thinking hard about yesterday's events.

"To the library it is." Pansy said, encouraging the other girl to lead the way.

The three friends walked slowly to the library, one right after the other in a line, constantly looking from side to side. Haley led them to the area where she had been studying. They circled the table twice before accepting that fact that the necklace was not there.

The next place to look was the common room. So again, the three friends walked in necklace-searching line until they reached the Slytherin dorms. They carefully looked all around the room, leaving no cushion left unturned except for the ones they replaced once they were sure the necklace was not to be found there. So when Ethan finally came down from his dorm, the sight was a rather curious one indeed.

"Uh… hey guys." Ethan started.

"Quit standing there and help us." Pansy frowned.

"What she means to say, mate," Blaise jumped in before the other boy could retort, "is that we're looking for Haley's necklace. You know, the gold one with the ruby. She lost it so we're helping her look for it. Join us?"

In his ever-present nonchalant manner, Ethan shrugged before going down on all fours to look underneath one of the couches. Together they searched, earning confused glances from anyone that walked by. Haley didn't even notice the addition to her party until she spotted him on the floor nearby.

"Oh. Ethan. Are you looking for something?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. _Your_ necklace."

"What? Really?"

The boy simply nodded.

That's when Haley stood and looked around the room. Ethan continued searching nearby while Blaise was looking near one of the fireplaces and Pansy was trotting down the stairs to the girls' dorms having looked in her room and around the staircase. A grin grew upon Haley's lips as a case of giggles began to consume her. Soon enough, she was straight out laughing at the situation. Her three friends looked at her curiously and momentarily stopped their search.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny all of a sudden?" Blaise asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"_You_ are," Haley admitted, calming her fit. "You guys don't have to do this. It's a Saturday and the holidays are almost up. I'm sure there are other things you'd rather be doing."

"Not really," Ethan shrugged. "All my homework is done…"

"Mine too," Pansy added. "And since I already said I'd help you yesterday, I didn't really plan on doing much today anyway."

"And it's either sit here and be bored or help you," Blaise finished. "Face it, mate. You're stuck with us."

"All right, I guess. But feel free to take off whenever you want," Haley explained. "You guys don't _have_ to do this and I'm not about to make you either."

"Sounds good enough to me," Blaise shrugged.

"So where to now?" asked Pansy.

"Let's see… after I came here, I went to my room and then you showed up and picked out clothes… and then we went to the Divination classroom."

"Okay, let's go."

Once again, the train of friends left the common room and searched the halls all the way up to the Divination room. Once they realized it wasn't there either, their next stop was the Hospital Wing. On seeing the visitors, Madame Pomfrey immediately frowned and told them all to leave, as Leir was still in the room. Haley then explained their search and the nurse agreed to do the search herself while the four Slytherins kept searching around the area. Unfortunately, the search turned up with no results.

"Don't fret. There're a bunch of other places we haven't looked," Blaise consoled, placing a hand upon Haley's shoulder.

"Oh Mis…s Jones…" Madame Pomfrey started, glimpsing at the other three.

Haley looked over her shoulders at her friends and then back at the older woman. "Oh don't worry about it. All three of them already know."

"Do they?"

And as if they had rehearsed the notion, all three pointed to the fourth and simply stated, "Harry Potter."

Haley just looked at them somewhat befuddled and amused.

The nurse carried on. "Mister Valex will be leaving for home today. I just thought you'd like to know."

"Good. The further away he is from me, the better. For _his_ sake," she said with a sneer.

Blaise and Ethan just smiled to each other and began rubbing their knuckles again. At this, Madame Pomfrey frowned and politely asked them to move along. She didn't need to waste any more time healing the young man in her ward.

It was well into the afternoon by then, and all four friends went to grab a snack in the kitchens, which was another location Haley thought to search. She took the opportunity to ask Dobby about the necklace, and much to her disappointment, neither Dobby nor any of the other house elves stumbled upon the trinket, although he did promise to keep an eye out for his dear Harry Potter.

"So where do we look now?" Pansy asked.

"I don't know… that's pretty much all the places I've been… other than Gryffindor tower. And that's not exactly and accessible place right now. I'll just ask Ron and Hermione to help with that one." Haley frowned. "Do think someone might've picked it up and kept it?"

"Maybe…" Blaise thought aloud. "I mean, it _was_ a nice necklace. They could probably get a pretty sum out of it."

"You really think someone would do that?" Pansy glowered.

"You never know…" Ethan piped. "Some people are pretty desperate. They're not all rich like you folk."

These thoughts were quickly dashing Haley's hope in finding her necklace. She slumped her shoulders and exhaled. "Well thanks for your help, you guys. I really appreciate it even though it was all for naught."

"Think nothing of it, mate," Blaise said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "You would've helped us had we lost anything, right?"

"Of course."

"Anyway, I'm sure it'll turn up eventually."

She smiled at her friends, glad to have their support. "So what should we do now?"

Blaise looked between his friends with a wicked smile on his face. He moved his hand so that he was clutching Haley's shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" And in a flash, the boy dashed away.

Haley blinked. 'Tag…?' She looked at an equally confused Ethan and Pansy. But once all three of them snapped out of their temporary stupors, both Ethan and Pansy dodged Haley's extended hands, grins on their faces. They ran from the girl as they all embraced their inner child for an afternoon of play.

---

Draco Malfoy hated the cold. He downright despised it. And yet, despite himself, he was wandering around outside with a goal in mind. He had respected Haley's need to avoid him by forcing himself not to avidly pursue the girl. Instead, he conducted his own search for the very same necklace. He had spotted the other four walking in a strange line as their eyes darted from side to side. It didn't take him long to figure out what they were doing. Wanting to help, but also wanting to keep his distance, Draco thought of where the girl might've gone within the past few days. This was rather hard seeing as she had been avoiding him most of that time. He searched here and there around the castle, but it wasn't until later in the afternoon that he thought of the incident with the badger. It was then, despite his dislike for the cold, that Draco decided to look outside.

He found himself copying the slow walk that the other four had conducted indoors. Looking from side-to-side, watching for any type of glint with his Seeker skills, Draco proceeded slowly towards the greenhouse. He even found himself kicking aside some snow whenever something caught his eye, even going so far as to dig with his hands. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he sought the warmth of the greenhouse and quickly went in. He warmed his bones for a minute before continuing his search around the room. He briefly remembered what it was like seeing Valex straddling the paralyzed girl. If he hadn't been more worried about Harry than he had been furious with Leir, Draco was sure he would've done some serious damage to the Hufflepuff. No one touched his Harry like that and gets away with it.

He refocused himself on the task at hand. Looking around all the plants and on the floor, Draco came up short, much to his dismay. He resigned himself and stepped back out into the cold. The chill immediately overtook him again as Draco emitted a rather vigorous sneeze.

'Ugh… I think I'm getting sick again… Damn…' He dropped his head and removed his glove to feel his forehead. Sure enough, he felt warmer than usual. That's when something in the snow caught his eye. Not a glint of gold, rather a shine of something red. Suddenly disregarding his wavering health, Draco dropped to his knees and dug through the snow.

He smiled.

He found it.

---

Haley gasped as a wave of water engulfed her entire frame. "Are you mad?! It's freezing!!" She spun around, angrily, soaked to the core. "Who's bright idea what it to use magic in this stupid game anyway?!"

Blaise popped out from behind a corner he had just ducked past. "That would be Ethan's fault!"

"That's not true!" The other boy growled from behind a suit of armor. "You threw a book at me! You cheated!"

Blaise just laughed. "Yeah, but you retaliated with your wand! Therefore, you started i-"

"_Rictusempra_!"

Blaise went flying to the air, landing softly but cursed with a fit of laughter. "H-h-hey! Haha!"

Haley stood over the boy, frowning. "I agree with Ethan. You can't throw books in Tag, Blaise. That's cheating."

"O-haha! Okay-haha! Enou-haha, enough!"

"_Finite Incantatem_."

Blaise stopped laughing, but a genuine smile remained on his face. "Hey… where's Pansy?"

"You bound her, remember?" Haley commented, wiping her eyes with her hands. "She's stuck over by the statue."

"Oh right! Shit!" Blaise quickly stood and ran over to where he left the girl.

Ethan and Haley both stood where they were. Haley was still dripping with water while Ethan took this time to fix his now shredded shoes that Pansy had severed with a charm.

"Ugh. I'm going back to the common room," Haley frowned.

"I'm right behind you." Ethan followed. "All this running around is exhausting."

As the two entered the dorms, Ethan dropped into an armchair by Haley's room while Haley went in to go change. Soon after, a disgruntled Pansy, followed by a jovial Blaise, came into the room and sat with Ethan. After she had finished changing and towel-drying her hair, Haley joined her friends.

"That was fun," Blaise smiled, content.

"Yeah, until you threw a bloody book at me." Ethan frowned.

"Where did you get a book anyway?" Haley asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Someone second-year was walking past…"

"So you took a book from a second-year to throw it at Maxwell?" Pansy shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Despite herself, Haley couldn't help but laugh. After a few moments, the other three joined in harmoniously. Even though their search came up short, the day had truly been fun. It was somewhat bittersweet though, knowing that it was soon time for Haley to leave. They weren't exactly sure what would happen when she would turn back into Harry, but they were hopeful that a day such as this would come once again as long as their friendship stayed true. None of the four had any intentions of betraying it.

Haley sighed. "I guess I should start packing…"

She didn't move from her seat, though. They were solemn.

Then, Pansy looked over to her friend and got up. "I'll help."

"Me too."

"Yeah… me too."

Haley looked around. She knew arguing was futile when they clearly already had their minds set. So she just smiled at each of them, a warmth coming from within her. "Thanks."

She was grateful for their friendship, not worried a bit that it would falter once she made the change. So, in a line, they made their way to Haley's room to help her with the inevitable.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own naught the Harry Potter characters, but instead the characters Maxwell, Valex, Mavillian, and McClarin. Yes. And this story. Yes.

WOW. I'm on a roll! But perhaps that's partly because these are short? Maybe. But in any case, this is where I'll pause. The next one is longer, I promise!I wasn't so sure if I wanted to upload so closely together since I had finished this bit last night (or early this morning, depending on how you look at it), but I figured, ah well. The ones who already read it are already waiting. So for you eager beavers, I hope you enjoyed your less than 24-hr update. I heart you all.

P.S. For the people who like to read these footnotes for the off chance that I might spill what happens next, I won't. But I'll have you know that more Draco/Haley banter ensues. Yes. Oh and for all those other other people who are anxiously waiting for Haley's change, hold on! You're almost there! I'm almost as anxious as you are especially since I already know what's gonna happen! Le gasp! Man… a P.S. shouldn't be longer than the actual note, right? Oh well. Last thing! DON'T THROW BOOKS AT PEOPLE! They hurt! Okay bye.


	32. A New Year, A Final Night

The Exchange – A New Year, A Final Night

* * *

She hadn't seen Draco at all last night. She was slightly worried, despite knowing that he was going to purposely keep his distance. So when Blaise walked up to her in the great hall looking slightly amused and more so annoyed, Haley was relieved, but also very surprised to hear what he had to say.

"The stupid buffoon is in the infirmary."

Haley blinked. "What?"

"Yes. Apparently, he was prancing around outside and caught himself another cold. Git." Blaise shook his head. "He was there over night which was why we didn't see him at supper or in the common room."

"Why on Earth was he roaming around outside in this weather?"

"Don't ask me. When I went to see him and he told me he was sick because he was outside for too long, I just called him an idiot and I left."

"You're not a very supportive friend, Blaise."

"I told you before, I don't support idiocy. Only a crazy man would be outside in this weather. Plus, he'll be fine. Just a day's rest and he'll be good as new."

Haley still frowned. "I'll go visit him."

"Hm. I thought you might. Give him a bonk on the head for me. Tell him the whole 'idiot' thing."

This made Haley chuckle. "All right. See you in a bit, then."

"See ya."

She made her way to the hospital wing and when Madame Pomfrey saw her enter her doors yet again, she had to laugh.

"My dear child, I see you here now more than ever. And considering your record, that's saying something."

Haley smiled. "I'm actually here to-"

"Visit young Mister Malfoy. Of course." Madame Pomfrey finished, smiling. "He's right in there."

Haley entered the room. She instinctively looked over at the bed where Leir had been recuperating. Relief washed over her. The bed was empty. He really _was_ gone. And across the room, dozing off in the morning light, was Draco.

Haley smiled at the sight. She walked up next to him and leaned in.

"OW!" Growled the disgruntled boy. "What the hell?!" Angry grey eyes landed upon the girl standing next to his bed. Draco rubbed his head where she had hit him. "That's no way to wake people up, Jones."

"That was from Blaise. He called you an idiot and said that prancing around outside in this weather is for madmen."

"Still…" he frowned.

Then, Haley grabbed the pillow from the bed next to him and hit Draco squarely in the face.

"What. The. _Hell_?!" Draco was getting very agitated.

"That was from me. You really _are_ an idiot."

"Fine! Then I suppose I won't give _this_ back." Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out Haley's missing necklace.

"Hey that's my-"

"Well not anymore," he grumbled. "This belongs to the person who _cherishes_ me. You _clearly_ do _not_."

Haley just rolled her eyes before sitting on the edge of his bed. "Where did you find it?" She asked, calmly.

Draco scowled at the girl, but answered her anyway. "It was over by the greenhouse."

Haley blinked. "You mean… outside?"

The boy leaned forward, bringing his face closer to the girl's. "Yes."

Now Haley felt guilty. "I… Draco…"

"That's right, say it."

She pursed her lips together. "I'm sorry."

"You should be. I spent an afternoon looking for this thing in the _cold_, mind you, and _this_ is the thanks I get?"

Haley felt _really_ guilty. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm really _really_ sorry…"

"Good. That's more like it. Now tell me how brilliant I am."

"Ew, shut up. You're such a dork."

Draco just smiled and held Haley even tighter.

She sighed. "Thank you for finding it for me. And I didn't even have to ask."

"See how nice I am? You're lucky I'm sick right now or else I'd be out there trying to find myself a new best friend."

"No…" Haley whined. "You can't do that. I'm irreplaceable."

Draco was silent for a moment, mulling over the words. "…True…"

Haley pulled away, much to Draco's unseen disappointment. She looked at the necklace in his hand. "Oh no… the chain…"

"Yeah… it's broken in two different places," Draco said, pointing it out.

"Hmmm…" Haley studied the necklace. "It probably snapped when Leir-"

"Probably," Draco interjected, not wanting to think about the incident. "At any rate, it's broken. I'll have it replaced for you."

"You don't have to do that," Haley said, furrowing her brows. "I can get it fixed myself."

"No. I want to do it. Don't argue with me. You have a lot of sucking up to do."

Haley smiled. "Fine. If you insist. But I'm keeping this one in the mean time," she said, pulling out the ring from underneath her sweatshirt.

"Fine."

The girl stood up and stretched. "All right. I guess I'll be going then."

"What? Why?" He frowned, displeased.

"Well, you're sick. You need to rest."

"So? Stay with me. I'll be bored all day. You owe me that much for suffering the cold."

"I don't want to start the year by catching your cold."

"You only caught it last time cause you drank my soup. Now if you have any intentions of making any sort of mouth-to-mouth contact with me, I will say I don't have any problem with it, but it'll be at your own risk," Draco smirked.

"Ugh. You're incorrigible." She rolled her eyes and looked away. However, when she felt a hand wrap around her own, she looked back into Draco's grey eyes.

"Stay with me. Please?"

Her heart immediately leapt to her throat. This _would_ be her last full day with him as Haley. After that, she wasn't so sure what would happen. So, after accepting what it was that she really wanted, Haley sat back down. "Okay."

Draco's face instantly lit up. "Great. My power over you is growing stronger, indeed."

"Ugh. Never mind."

Draco snatched Haley's wrist as she made to leave again. "Come here, Jones," he pulled her back to his side, scooting over in his bed to make room for her.

Obediently, she climbed in next to the boy, resting her head upon his chest as he lay back down upon his pillows. He wrapped his arms around his dear friend, enjoying the warmth of their proximity.

"So…" he trailed.

"So…"

"Monday sure came fast…"

She didn't respond.

"Can't you stay a little bit longer?"

"…I want to… but everything's all set. I leave on Monday. Plus… it's about time I go back anyway."

"Can't you take me with you?"

"I don't think you'll fit with all my luggage."

"… I could try…"

Haley chuckled at the mental image of Draco Malfoy trying to fit into her school trunk. "I think it would be quite uncomfortable."

"You don't know? I'm _very_ flexible."

"Well then go ahead and try. I'll take you anywhere."

"Good. That's more like it."

Again, Haley laughed. "Well what about your mystery girl? I thought you were going to pursue her?"

This time, Draco sighed. "The only girl that's important to me right now, other than my mother of course, is already in my arms."

Though the words melted her heart, they were still bittersweet. "You know, when you say stuff like that, it's like you're playing with me."

"Does it? I don't mean it to be. It's how I honestly feel."

"If you keep saying such nice things to me, how am I supposed to get over you?"

"…Maybe I don't want you to."

"That's a little selfish, don't you think?"

"I have my reasons."

"And what might they be?"

Draco paused. Haley felt the arms around her tighten their hold. "I'm not ready to tell you just yet…"

She wasn't sure what to make of this. She briefly worried that he was plotting to humiliate her by exposing the fact that Harry Potter had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy. But that idea went away as soon as it had come when he started stroking her hair. The motions were soothing and she soon felt her eyes getting heavy."…Just what are plotting, Draco…?"

"Hmm…" It seemed sleep was taking a hold of him as well. "Isn't it obvious? I'm plotting out your inevitable demise…"

She half-heartedly smacked him on the chest. "You shouldn't say such things. I'm likely to believe them."

The light chuckle let her know that he was teasing her again. "I would never hurt you. You know that."

"…I want very much to believe that…" she closed her eyes, listening and feeling the calming sensation of Draco's breathing. Soon enough, sleep had overcome her.

Draco looked down at the girl in his arms, making sure that she was asleep, before kissing the bangs that hid her infamous scar. "_Believe_ this…" Draco closed his eyes as well and whispered gently to her sleeping form. "…I love you, Harry Potter…more that you'll ever know…"

The figure in his arms nuzzled its makeshift pillow before settling back into slumber. Draco smiled softly before letting sleep take over him as well.

---

A few minutes after the pair had drifted off, Blaise came back into the infirmary with the intention of stealing Haley away from a bedridden Draco. He thought such an act would offer some amusement in seeing the almighty Draco whine and complain to keep his pet, even if the amusement lasted only for a little bit. After greeting the nurse for the second time that day, he walked into the ward and immediately spotted his two friends snuggled up to each other in Draco's bed. He smiled at the sight, but then shook his head in dismay.

"Idiots…"

He left the two as they were, hoping that by some odd miracle that they'd finally confess their undying love for one another as Harry and Draco. Knowing these two, it was mostly likely going to be a while before anything like that happened. He could only hope that it would happen sooner rather than later. Again, he shook his head.

"Idiots…"

---

Haley awoke feeling warm. She opened one lazy eye after another and took in her surroundings. They weren't her usual swarm of green and silver that she had somehow gotten used to. And the pillow she had wasn't as fluffy as she remembered. In fact, it was moving.

'That's right… I'm in the hospital wing…' She shifted herself so that she could look up at the person who held her so close. 'Draco…'

The boy was sleeping again. This time, though, she refrained from hitting him on the head. It was the least she could do seeing as she was mostly the reason why he was there in the first place.

Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was just about noon. Haley yawned.

'If I'm going to stay with him all day, we're going to need something to do…' Haley thought. Moving slowly as to not stir the boy, Haley slipped out of Draco's hold and made her way towards the exit.

She passed by an amused Madame Pomfrey and told her that she'd be back shortly. Madame Pomfrey just smiled. Ah, young love.

Though all of this seemed nice and well, it wasn't as so when Draco awoke. His body suddenly felt chilly and very much to his dismay he awoke to empty arms. Draco sat up and after he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he looked around the room. Haley was nowhere to be seen. Feeling hot, but cold, and very alone, Draco stood, wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, and looked out the window. The first day of the New Year was heavy with snow, and Draco found he was very happy to be indoors today.

'Where did he go…?' Draco wondered. 'He said he was going to stay with me… Just once, I want to wake up and see him there. Every time, he's always already awake and out of my arms… just once, couldn't he stay put? Damn it, Harry. Why are you always so busy getting away from me?'

He leaned forward against the glass, feeling its chill run through him. 'Harry… Harry, Harry, Harry… Harry loves me.' He couldn't stop the grin from coming. 'And now I know what he really wants. He wants me to care for him as he is. And I will. So please, Harry… just keep on loving me until you're back. I'll show you just how much you _really_ mean to me…'

"What are you doing out of bed?!"

Draco spun around and saw Haley standing in the doorway, a frown on her face. He plastered a frown on his own. "You left me."

"But it's not like I wasn't going to come back, you git. Get back in bed before you make yourself any worse."

Draco did as he was told, trying to hide the smile that was growing with her return. "Where did you go? I was cold."

"Well if I'm going to spend the rest of the day with you, we needed something to do." She sat down in front of him, summoning the tray-table to the bed. Pulling out a deck of cards, she began shuffling.

"What? My company and conversation aren't enough for you?"

"Hardly. You're boring after the first hour or so."

"Is this supposed to be you sucking up to me? Cause you're horrible at it."

"I apologize, oh great and wonderful Draco."

"That's more like it."

"Anything else? Would you like me to fluff your pillow? Get you a glass of water? Or would you rather I just keep stroking your ego."

"Mmm… you're a competent girl. I'm sure you can multi-task."

She tossed one of the cards in Draco's face. "You're terrible. At this rate, I'm leaving you to your own devices."

"Fine, fine. I'll be good. Just stay."

"Oh? The great and wonderful Draco swaying to my whims? Who's the powerful one now, hm?"

Draco smirked. "I am, of course. Despite how terrible you claim me to be, _you're _still here. Clearly, I have the stronger hold."

Haley responded by throwing another card at him.

---

"That's cheating! You peeked!"

Somewhere between noon and five that evening, more guests had entered the infirmary. Haley and Draco were still playing cards, but somewhere along the line, Blaise had entered with Pansy and were dealt in on the game of Exploding Snap. Eventually, having wondered where everyone was, Ethan joined them in the hospital wing and was now being accused of cheating.

"I did not! Just take the pile, Blaise! It's not _my_ fault you're too slow!"

"Bullocks…" the blonde grumbled under his breath, accepting defeat.

"Whose turn is it?" Pansy asked.

"Mine!" Haley flipped over a card. "Six."

Ethan flipped. "Seven."

Draco flipped. "Eight."

Pansy flipped. "Nine."

Blaise flipped. "Te-"

_BOOM!_ The card exploded the second it left the boy's hand.

"Face it, Blaise." Draco said with a smirk. "You're just terrible at this game."

Blaise frowned and begrudgingly picked up the pile. "I hate you all."

"All right, all right. Is anyone else getting hungry?" Haley piped.

"That's what happens when you skip breakfast _and _lunch." Ethan said.

"I didn't skip lunch. I ate some of Draco's. Blame him for keeping me here all day."

"Hey, hey. You're not the one sick. You could have left at any time."

"Ah. Well then I shall see you later. I'm _hungry_." With that, Haley hopped off the bed and hurried to the door.

"No wait!" Draco tried but failed to grab the girl's wrist.

"See you, Draco!" She smiled with a wave.

Ethan shrugged. "I guess I'll go too. I'm sort of hungry, myself."

And so Draco was left with Blaise and Pansy, both watching him from the side of his bed.

"You know…" Pansy said, placing her forefinger to her bottom lip. "You sort of set yourself up for that one…"

"Oh hush up." Draco frowned.

"Why don't you just tell him? What's so bad about telling him?" Blaise wondered aloud.

"It's _not_ bad. I just want to tell him when he's back to his original form."

"I think that's stupid," the girl noted. "He likes you, you like him. Shag already."

"It's not that simple, Pansy. He wants me to like him as he is. And I'll show him that I do."

"Well I for one agree with Miss Parkinson. You two are just wasting time. Did you even stop to consider that as Harry, it's practically definitive that he'll end up spending less time with you."

"Of course I've considered that. But after everything… I just want him to know that it's _him_ I care for… who I've _always_ cared for…"

The three friends sat in silence.

Then, simultaneously, "You're an idiot."

Draco glared at the pair. "Get out!"

---

"Hey, so what happens tomorrow?"

Ethan and Haley were sitting face-to-face at the end of the Slytherin table in the great hall. Most people had already left the table. Even Ethan was near finished, but Haley was really set on filling up.

"Well… I say goodbye to everyone, go to Dumbledore's office, drink the antidote, and voila. I'm back to my old self."

"Okay. So then how will you explain your sudden and budding friendship with a few of the Slytherins you once proclaimed hated you?"

"I don't think it'll matter much. People come up with all sorts of rumors on their own anyway. I think that if I suddenly just started hanging out with you lot, people will come up with their own stories. We don't have to deny or agree with any of them. Let people think what they want."

"And what if they all catch you staring longingly at Malfoy?"

"First of all, I _wouldn't_. I keep all my pining on the inside. And second, if I somehow managed to slip for a _moment_, they'll probably just think that I'm looking at him in detest."

"Don't you _want_ to be his friend after this?"

"Well, yeah. Of course. But… I'm not too sure. I think he really hates me."

"That's stupid."

"No, I mean the real me."

"Again, stupid."

"Then how can you explain the fact that Draco finds it necessary to separate me from my real self?"

"What?"

"He knows. I heard him say it himself. He knows who I really am and yet he still plays along as if I'm someone entirely new."

"You… know… that _he_ knows…"

"Yes. I just said that."

"Okay. So what makes you think he's separating the two?"

"Take today for instance. He knows that I'm really Harry, and yet he still was so kind to me as Haley. Maybe he just doesn't want to accept the fact that we're the same."

"I don't think that's it."

"Then what could it be?"

"If he knows and he still cares, then clearly he cares no matter who you really are."

"But-"

"But nothing. You're reading way too much into this. Stop confusing yourself."

"So you really think he cares for the _real_ me?"

Ethan simply nodded.

"So then why does he still pretend?"

"Well… you never gave him a reason not to."

"What?"

"To Draco, you're still playing Haley. So, I figure, he's just playing along."

"You think so?"

The boy shrugged. "I do."

Haley was solemn. "You don't think it has anything to do with me being Harry?"

"Nope."

Haley slumped and took a bite out of her bread. "I hope you're right."

---

It was nearing ten that evening when Haley finally returned to Draco's side. She had made a pit stop to her room to finish packing the last of her things so she wouldn't have to worry about it tomorrow. Back in the infirmary, she collapsed into the bed next to her friend who had kept himself occupied by reading up on some rare and complicated potions.

"Ugh, I'm stuffed." She groaned, patting her stomach.

He glanced at her. "You _look_ stuffed."

"Some friend _you_ are."

"I could say the same of you."

Haley sat up and frowned. "What? What did _I_ do?"

Draco snapped his book shut and dropped it onto his tray table. He looked back at his friend with a frown of his own. "You left me. _Again_."

Haley stared at Draco from the bed next to him with her mouth agape. "You said I could!"

"I didn't _mean_ it."

"You shouldn't say things you don't mean."

"I say them all the time. You're very pretty."

"You jerk."

"Now how did you know that I didn't mean that?"

"Because you just said-"

"I didn't mean that!"

"You're awful."

"You don't mean that."

"I could."

"But you don't."

"Shut up."

Draco was quiet, but a smile played on his lips. "…Come here."

"No. You're mean to me," Haley pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Only because I'm fond of you."

"Don't try to sweet talk me."

"But I mean it."

"Still…"

"Still…Come here."

"Ugh. Fine." Haley rolled out of the bed, rather ungracefully, and slumped all the way around to Draco's side. She hopped in next to him and turned her back to the boy.

She heard him chuckle. "You're such a child sometimes."

"This coming from the spoiled brat."

"Yes, yes. I'm _very_ spoiled…" He said this wrapping an arm around Haley's waist and resting his head on hers so that their cheeks were touching.

"I don't see why I came back…" Haley frowned, still grouchy despite the fluttering in her stomach.

"Because… I' m brilliant."

"Is that another one of those things you don't mean?"

"Admit it. I'm great."

"You're breathing on me. Now I'm sure to get sick."

"Maybe not. I'm at the healing end of the cold, remember?"

"Ah, good. Cause that's the last thing I want right now."

"Is it? I would think the last thing you would want is for a mastrot to sit on your face."

"Gross."

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

"…Maybe."

He snuggled in closer to the girl, burying his face in her shoulder.

"You know… I really doubt Madame Pomfrey will let me sleep here, let alone in the same bed as you. So you can't fall asleep with me here."

"Too late…"

"Draco," she elbowed him in the ribs. "Seriously."

"Seriously? I want you to stay…"

"… I can't."

"But you would?"

"…Maybe."

"Then… just stay while you can. Wait until she kicks you out. Until then, let me fall sleep with you here. Although…"

"Although what?"

"I had rather hoped I'd be able to wake up with you here, too."

"Now you're just being selfish. Maybe I'm uncomfortable. Maybe I long for my own bed."

"So… you want us to move to _your_ bed?"

"What? You totally read that the wrong way."

Again, he chuckled. "I would. If you'd let me."

"Well you can't because you're sick and you have to stay here."

"Boo…"

The two lay side by side for a while. The sounds of Draco's breathing were like a metronome to Haley and soon she found herself getting tired, especially since she had a full stomach. "I'm getting sleepy…"

"So sleep then…"

She closed her eyes and exhaled. "…I should go…"

"You can't. I won't let you, remember?"

"Fine… When she comes to kick me out, carry me to my room…" She joked.

"You? You honestly think I can carry _you_?"

"…Jerk…"

Draco smiled. "…Good night, Haley."

"Mmm… Night Draco…"

Draco spent the next ten minutes studying the girl in his arms. He was hopeful that tomorrow would turn out okay. Even though she would be leaving and returning to her normal state, Draco was hopeful that once Harry was back, they could move forward.

"Ehem."

Draco looked up at the nurse who was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and with a frown on her face.

"You know, Mister Malfoy, that I cannot condone an underage boy and an underage girl sleeping in the same bed."

"Yes, I know…"

"Please wake Miss Jones and send her on her way."

"Well… she's already asleep. I don't really want to disturb her."

"Then what do you propose we do, hm?"

"I could always carry her to her room…" Draco tried. "I'm feeling much better than I did this morning and a good night's rest is all I need for a full recovery, right? Why not let me do so in my own bed? That way, I can take her to her room and just go to mine afterward."

Madame Pomfrey studied the boy carefully. "All right. I'm trusting you, Mister Malfoy. Take that girl straight to her room and then go your separate ways."

"Yes, of course."

Draco gently pulled away from Haley, and slipped out of the bed. He walked around to the other side and lifted the girl lightly as to not stir her. Madame Pomfrey held the door open for the pair.

"Remember, Mister Malfoy. _Straight_ to your own room," the nurse warned.

"Yes, yes, of course."

Cradling her softly, Draco carried the slumbering Haley all the way down to the Slytherin common room, which was nearly empty by this time. When he got to their doors, he smiled. There was no way he wanted to part with her now. He skillfully opened his own door and laid her down on his bed. After taking off her shoes and setting them aside, Draco climbed in behind the girl to take up the position they shared before leaving the infirmary.

Draco snuggled in against her warm body. He wasn't exactly proud of lying to the nurse. But he wasn't exactly ready to part ways with his friend just yet. Again Draco smiled and closed his eyes. Hopefully, this time, she will be there when he wakes up.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe is one that I neither live in nor own. Though I wish I had either or both. Yes.

I would have to agree with Pansy in this one. Hey you! Yes you! The one reading this! Thanks for sticking around long enough for me to write this! Yeah! You are awesome!!1one!! P.S. At this rate, how can anything go wrong for this pair? Teehee…


	33. Farewell Dear Friend

The Exchange - Farewell Dear Friend

* * *

Draco urged himself to wake up before his friend did. He set a mental timer in his head to open his eyes at least one minute before Haley opened hers. So when he went to sleep last night, he was damn near positive that he would finally wake up before her. Too bad he was wrong.

Haley opened her eyes slowly. She frowned. Considering she had slept on her side, she was sure that when she looked at this side of her room, she would see the door to her bath. Obviously, she was not in her room. That's when she felt an arm move, grazing her stomach softly. Again, she frowned. One of her hands was under her head and the other hand was resting in front of her face where she could see it. She even wiggled her fingertips just to make sure those were hers. Clearly, someone was holding her. Then she felt the bed shift and a head nuzzle the back of her neck. Again, Haley frowned. Where the hell was she?

The girl grabbed her glasses from the nightstand next to her, put them on, and sat up. She spotted Draco snoozing next to her and things suddenly made sense. 'Oh… so this must be _his_ room… Why am I in his room? When did we get here?' She glanced at her watch. It was only six in the morning. She figured she felt so awake now because of how early she had gone to sleep the night before. In the infirmary. 'Did he bring me here?' she wondered.

That was beside the point now. The fact of the matter was that she was lying in bed with Draco. Haley shook her head and looked at the sleeping boy. 'You sure do have a mean streak, don't you?' she thought, pinching his nose slightly, but not enough to wake him. 'I'm supposed to get over you and then you go and do this… you're too charming for your own good…'

Haley sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Gently and quietly, she moved out of Draco's hold, slipped on her shoes, and tiptoed to the door. Giving one last look at the boy who had stolen her heart, Haley left without making a peep.

'He's in love with someone else. That's the bottom line. Even if I were best of friends with him as Harry, he's still going to be in love with someone else.' She slumped against the closed door, happy that everyone else was still asleep at this time. 'If I'm ever going to get a chance to get over him, this is the best time. I'll say my goodbye as Haley and move on as Harry. Hopefully we'll be able to be friends again as Draco and Harry, that is, if Ethan's right about everything. Maybe…'

She had her mind made up. The exchange couldn't have come at a better time. At the rate she was going, it would be hard indeed to get over the boy. At least if she were back to being Harry, back to being a Gryffindor, she'd have less time to face him. Ultimately, to her, that's what was best. Picking herself up, she walked over to her door and prepared for what was to come.

---

It was a nice Monday morning. The sun was warm and shining behind light clouds. The snow was sparkling in the sunlight. Even a few birds cared to grace the morning sky. However, Draco was pissed. He figured it was rational to be annoyed with the early-riser that was Haley Jones. He told himself that it was okay to be mad at the girl who kept sneaking away from him. He was doing a pretty good job of convincing himself it was all her fault he was annoyed that morning, and not the fault of his own for not having woken up in time to see her next to him. That is until he saw her at breakfast.

He had forgotten that Sunday was the day that the students returned from holiday, so he was momentarily surprised by the number of people in the great hall when he arrived there for his meal. The girl he was supposedly annoyed with was sitting in her usual spot, surrounded by her friends. She looked happy. He didn't want to disturb that. Calmly, he took his seat next to her.

"Morning, Draco," Haley smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, physically, but where did you go? You disappeared so early this morning…"

At this, Blaise and Pansy shared curious sidelong glances.

"Oh, I didn't want to wake you. There were a few things I needed to do before I leave today."

"Oh."

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen! Welcome, welcome!"

All turned to look at the Headmaster who stood from his seat.

"Welcome everyone. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday. Unfortunately, holidays cannot last forever as we must all eventually return to work." The room was filled with light groans. "Now, now. We shall start the New Year with a few announcements. Mister Filch has asked me to ask all students from refraining to use any Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products you may have received over the break as some items tend to stain the tapestries. Also, if anyone has seen Madame Trelawny's spare eyeglasses, please return them promptly. They were last spotted on Peeves' face. And finally, we must all unfortunately bid farewell to our exchange student, Miss Haley Jones. She'll be leaving us after classes today to return home, just as Mister Potter will make his return later this evening. That is all. Thank you and let's eat!"

A number of students took this time to look at Haley before murmuring amongst each other of the impending return of their school celebrity.

"You must be excited," Blaise said with a smile.

Haley shrugged. "It's kind of bittersweet. I'm excited to go back, but also sad that I have to leave."

"So then don't," Draco said simply. He was still a little cranky but decided it best not to let it show. Much anyway.

"We've already been through this, Draco. I _have_ to go. And you won't fit in my luggage, I'm sorry."

"What happened last night?" Pansy thought aloud, effectively changing the subject. "Did something happen between you two?"

"What? No!" Haley frowned. "We just fell asleep next to each other. That's all."

"That's _all_?" Ethan, who had been quiet up until now, cocked an eyebrow.

"_Yes_."

"Technically, she fell asleep next to me in the infirmary so I carried her down to my room and _that's_ where we slept."

"You were sleeping in the same bed?" Ethan asked incredulously.

"Well, technically-"

"What're you on about? It's not like it was the first time, isn't that right, Haley?" Draco said with a smirk. "I'd say we've slept together a good two or three times by now."

"What?!" The other boy was shocked.

"Not like that! Quit implying things that aren't true!" Haley said, hitting Draco on the shoulder.

Draco just smirked, slyly.

"Anyway," Haley said with one last shove against the boy sitting next to her, "I'm very happy to go back. Of course, I'll keep in touch with all of you…" she looked sideways at Draco. "Well, maybe not _you_." She said, half joking.

"Nonsense. You'll write me everyday and send me flowers."

"You're delusional."

As the other three broke off into casual conversation, Draco bumped Haley lightly with his elbow. He whispered to her, "Is it weird that I'm sort of dreading this afternoon?"

"…No," she looked at him, her eyes somber. "I sort of am, too."

From under the table, he held his hand out to her. Haley gladly accepted it and the two held hands away from the prying eyes of their friends. The two hands remained interlocked in a tiny form of comfort for the rest of their meal.

---

"Oy! Haley!"

The Slytherin girl turned in hearing her name. She and her fellow Slytherins had been walking out onto the grounds to see what new creature Hagrid had to teach them about when Seamus jogged over to her with Dean in tow.

"Morning, Seamus," Haley smiled. "Hello, Dean."

Both boys nodded in greeting.

"So it's true then? You're leaving today?" Seamus asked.

"'Fraid so."

"So Harry Potter's coming back?" Dean asked, arching an eyebrow.

"It looks that way." Haley said, giving Dean a knowing glance. He nodded again in understanding.  
"Well then if we don't see you before then, I guess I'll say goodbye now. Bye Haley," Seamus smiled. "It was great knowing you!" He walked over to the girl and gave her a firm and friendly hug.

"All right. Goodbye Seamus. It's been great knowing you, too."

"And I guess we should thank you, too," Dean said.

"Thank me? For what?"

Dean just looked at Seamus and took the other boy's hand in his.

"Oh! Really? You two worked things out?"

Dean grinned. "Yes. Yes we did."

Seamus just blushed. "Errr… yeah…" he said, shyly, looking anywhere but at Haley or Dean.

"Well, congratulations." Haley smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you and _thank_ you," Dean beamed. "Bye Haley. Maybe I'll see you again someday," he said with a smirk.

"Sure. Maybe even this afternoon." She chuckled.

"What? But I thought you're leaving," Seamus said with a look of confusion. "I don't get it."

"Come on, you," Dean said, pulling his new boyfriend into a headlock. "Class is starting." He looked over to Haley. "Bye!"

Seamus looked up at the girl and waved at her with a grin on his face. "Bye!"

"Bye!" She laughed at the pair. She watched them, happy that they had finally sorted out their feelings. She then found herself glancing in Draco's direction.

Haley sighed and walked solemnly towards her friends.

---

The first few classes flew by in record time and before she knew it, it was already time for lunch. Haley had been called to the teachers' table to discuss the last few details of her departure with Professor Dumbledore.

"So the house-elves will be moving your things between classes and I will hang on to the antidote for you until after class."

"Okay," the girl nodded. "So after classes, I'll just head on over to your office, right? Is the password still… pie related?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes."

"Okay."

"Leave out a change of clothes that the elves can bring to my office, unless you prefer to remain in your uniform."

Haley blushed. "Of course not! I'll do that now…"

The headmaster chuckled. "All right Miss Jones. It seems everything is set."

"Yes. Thank you, sir."

"You're most welcome."

Haley turned and left the table, making her way to her place with the Slytherins.

"What was that about?" Draco asked as his friend approached her place beside him.

"We were going over the little details of my departure," Haley shrugged reaching for a piece of bread. She tore off a piece and popped it into her mouth.

"Aren't you staying?" The blonde wondered aloud as Haley remained standing instead of sitting by him.

"Can't. I need to run on down to the dorms one last time."

"I'll come with you."

Again Haley shrugged. "Sure, okay. Let's go." She snatched up another piece of bread before heading out of the great hall.

"You know, I've noticed that you miss quite a few meals."

"Do I? I usually make it up by either going to the kitchens or gorging myself the next mealtime, though."

"Yes, that's true. You _are_ a horrendous eater." Draco smiled in hearing her scoff. "So what's going to happen?"

"Well, after my Divination class, I will be headed for Dumbledore's office. I leave from there."

"You won't have time to spare after class? You just leave right then and there?"

"I suppose I can stick around a little longer to say a few more goodbyes. Professor Dumbledore didn't seem like there was much rush for me to get to his office. But that doesn't mean I want to keep him waiting either."

"True."

Crossing the common room, Haley opened the door to her room one last time. Her fully packed trunk was still waiting at the foot of her bed. Draco took the opportunity to hop onto the bed as the girl rifled through her things.

"You can't leave without saying goodbye to me, okay?" Draco said firmly.

She looked over to him from behind the lid of her trunk. "Awww, shucks. I so planned on leaving without having to look at you anymore."

"Seriously."

"Honestly, Draco," Haley stood with her hands on her hips. "Do you really think I could leave without saying goodbye to you of all people?"

"I'm just making sure."

"Well all right then. I won't leave without saying goodbye to you," she confirmed.

"Good."

Haley moved back to her trunk and picked out some clothes she would change into in Dumbledore's office. She shoved them into a satchel and set it aside. Closing and locking her trunk with a spell, she was ready to go.

"All finished, then?" Draco asked.

Haley nodded. "Yup. Let's go."

Draco chuckled to himself as he rolled off the bed. "Haley Piper…"

"…What?"

"H. P." He said, pointing to the trunk. "You said it stands for Haley Piper. Haley Piper Jones."

"Well, I lied. That's _not_ what it stands for."

"Oh?" Draco cocked an eyebrow. "What does it stand for then?"

"It doesn't matter now. I'm leaving."

"Maybe that's what makes it matter even more."

"Okay, then. Since you put it that way. H. P. It stands for Helen Paddington. Yes. That's the girl whose arse I kicked in order to claim this trunk."

Draco laughed.

"Or maybe it just means Hot Pastrami, as I do enjoy such a sandwich. Or it could mean hodge-podge or higgledy-piggledy or even hula power."

"Hula power?"

"Or maybe-"

"All right, all right. I get it. It doesn't matter."

"Not really. No." Haley said with a smile. "Come on. Let's hurry. I might have some time to get a few bites in."

Draco scoffed. "Like you need it."  
Haley responded by throwing her half-eaten bread roll at the boy. Tossing a smirk back at the blonde, she dashed out of the room before he could retaliate.

Draco smiled and chased after her.

---

Haley had been making her way down to the dungeons for Potions class when she heard her name being called yet again. Turning to look at the source, she smiled in seeing her favorite redhead.

Ron ran up to the girl, launching himself at her in a hug from behind. "Say it isn't so, Haley! You _can't_ leave!" He joked.

"Get off me, you git."

"No. Maybe if Hermione sees me with another girl, she'll go into a jealous fit."

"Don't be daft. She knows it's me."

Ron shrugged. "It's worth a shot." Still hanging on to his friend, Ron placed his chin atop her head, moving his arms from around her waist to drape them over her shoulders. "So you're really coming back then? No quick disappearances again?"

"Nope. I'll be back for good this time around."

"Brilliant. It's about time. You know how boring it is without you around, mate? First off, I'm stuck with Hermione all day and you know I love her and all, but she always nags me about my schoolwork and that gets tiresome real easy, you know? And if I'm not hanging out with her, I'm with Seamus and Dean who recently found snogging to be a great time killer."

"No! Really? In front of you?"

"Mm-hmm. In the dorms. I hear you're to thank for that. So thanks a _lot_," the redhead said dryly. Haley just laughed. "And if I'm not with Seamus and Dean, I'm with Ginny and Neville who just stare at each other with longing eyes. It's sickening. Almost as sickening as you and Malfoy. All day, either _you're_ staring at _him_ longingly or _he's_ staring at _you_ longingly."

"That's not true."

"It sure looks that way. Heck, he's doing it now. Actually, with the way he's sneering in _my_ direction, he looks to be a little miffed."

"What?"

"_Look_."

Haley glanced over at Draco at the other end of the hall. The blonde quickly looked away, but there was no denying how cross he looked even now.

Ron just laughed. "You'd think he's jealous. Of _me_! Haha! Oh how the tables have turned!"

"That's stupid. He knows you and I are best friends and that you're already with Hermione- by the way, where is she?"

"She should be coming soon, so look sharp."

"Ron! I won't be a pawn in making your girlfriend jealous."

"Too late! Here she comes!"

Hermione walked up to her two best friends. "Hello you two."

"Hello," Haley greeted.

"Hello again," Ron smirked. "Does seeing me in this position make your blood boil?"

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"He thinks that if you see him with another girl, you'll get jealous," Haley stated.

At this, Hermione burst out laughing. "You can't be serious, Ronald. Why would I ever be jealous of you hanging all over Harry? If anything, I'd be relieved. You've been hanging all over _me_ since Harry's change and you know I love you, but spending so much time with you can be very tiresome. I don't know _how_ Harry does it."

Ron pouted. "Oh enough, already." He straightened up, finally letting Haley out of his hold.

Haley just laughed at them. "It seems both of you are miserable without me."

"Which is precisely why it's good you're finally coming back," Ron perked.

"I have to admit, Harry. Things are different without you around." Hermione nodded. She paused as a frown grew on her lips. "What's Malfoy's problem?"

Haley and Ron both looked back at the blonde who quickly looked away again.

"He's just jealous that I'm hanging all over _his_ Haley," Ron smirked, draping himself over the brunette once more.

"Get off!" Haley frowned. "You're heavy!"

"Oy. Watch." Ron moved and placed a kiss on his friend's cheek.

"Ron!" Haley growled.

"What? We're friends! And look!"

The trio watched as Draco stormed away from a befuddled Blaise to enter the classroom.

"Ron, you're simply horrid," Hermione shook her head.

"Just proving a point."

"Okay, now get off." Haley said, pushing her friend off of her.

"See. Why can't _you_ get jealous like that, 'Mione? It'll make me secure in our relationship."

"I don't need to get jealous to make this a secure relationship. In fact, you should be happy that I trust you well enough with other girls to _not_ get jealous." When Ron didn't reply other than to roll his eyes, Hermione exhaled. "Watch." She moved toward Haley and placed a kiss on the opposite cheek that the boy had kissed. Almost immediately, Ron pulled Hermione away, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Will you two stop that?" Haley frowned again, wiping both her cheeks with her sleeves.

"You see? Feeling jealous is never good, is it?" Hermione lectured to the frowning redhead.

"What're jealous over anyway?" Haley jibed. "You know it's me. I would never try to steal her from you even if I _did_ like her in that way. Not that I don't love you, 'Mione, but you know what I mean."

"Of course," she nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, but it seems like everyone around me is secretly a poof. I don't want my _girlfriend_ getting any ideas, too."

Both girls responded by hitting the redhead on the shoulder each before leaving him alone in the hall.

Ron smirked and called out to them. "What did I say?"

---

The rest of the day was a blur. Most of her spare time was spent saying goodbye to people, even to people she didn't really know. She had bid farewell to Pavarti and Lavender after thanking them for taking a huge chunk of the clothes she had left over out of her hands. Then again, they thanked _her _for the free clothes. She even said goodbye to Colin Creevy who insisted upon snapping one last picture of the girl. It was all a little overwhelming. And before she knew it, classes were done. Now, she walked with Pansy, Blaise and Ethan from the Divination classroom out into the corridor. They all headed towards the headmaster's office, where Haley was finally going to change back into Harry.

"So… this is it," Haley said. She turned around and smiled at her friends. "I'm finally going back."

"How does it feel?" Blaise asked.

"Good. I'm ready to go."

"What about your things?" Pansy wondered.

"They should already be in the Gryffindor dorms. And Professor Dumbledore is waiting in his office with the antidote."

"And even though you're going to be a self-righteous Gryffindor again, that doesn't mean you have to go on avoiding us troublesome Slytherins, right?" Blaise joked.

"How could I ever? You guys have been great friends. I'm glad to have gotten the chance to get to know each of you."

"Even Maxwell?" Pansy looked unsure.

"Haha." Ethan replied dryly, sending the girl a glare.

"Yes," Haley smiled. "I'm happy to have met even Ethan."

"When are we ever going to get the chance to make fun of you again?" Blaise asked.

Haley lightly shoved Blaise for the comment, but responded anyway. "It's not like I'm going to flat out avoid you lot now that I'm going back. We'll see each other in classes and between and even after. Just because I'm switching houses doesn't mean I'm never going to see you again. Maybe less so, but not never. Then again, if all you intend to do is tease me, maybe that's a good thing."

"Just kidding, love. You know it's all in good fun," Blaise said, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes, but smiled. Then Haley looked at her watch before looking around the hallway. Thirty minutes had passed since classes had let up.

"He's not here yet." Ethan said.

"What?"

"Malfoy. You're looking for him, right?"

"Well, yeah. He should be here by now."

"Oh, he'll show up," Pansy said with a wave of her hand. "I doubt he'd want to miss this."

"Yeah… but I should go soon…"

"All right then, Haley Jones. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance," Blaise said pulling away from the girl to bow slightly to her.

Haley just smiled and hugged the boy. "Stop acting like I'm actually leaving."

"Then why are you hugging me?"

"I've got to keep up appearances, remember?" She pulled away and turned to Ethan. "You too." She gave him a hug.

"Goodbye, Haley Jones. If you're finally over Malfoy, don't hesitate to come my way."

Haley snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that, mate."

Ethan shrugged. "I'm just throwing it out there…"

The girl just smiled before looking to her other friend.

"Don't look at me like that. Don't you go all sentimental on me, Jones." Pansy said, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'll see you later."

Haley laughed but charged at the girl anyway to give her a hug. "You have been a great friend, Pansy, despite our rough start. I'm glad I got this opportunity to see how un-snobbish you really are."

"Oh, shut up. Let go, Jones." Pansy frowned, although a faint blush graced her cheeks. "Goodbye already."

Haley did as she was told. She looked between all three of her new friends. Her smiled faded a little as she looked down the hall once more. "…Where _is_ he…?"

"Maybe he's caught in traffic. You know those stairs never go the way you want them to when you're in a hurry," Blaise figured. "Hey I was wondering what happens now that you're going back to being you while he's still being him."

"Well… since he's clearly smitten with this mystery person, I'm trying to let him go. And me changing back will be a good thing because that gives me less time to have to see him. Ergo, it'll be easier to forget I ever fell for him."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Pansy frowned. "I mean, he clearly loves-oof!"

Blaise chuckled nervously after having pushed the smaller girl. "Remember, Pansy dear? We promised never to reveal Draco's secret love…"

Ethan just scoffed at the words, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

"You all know who he's in love with?" Haley asked.

"He never officially proclaimed such a thing, but it's been quite obvious for _years_ now…" Ethan frowned.

"Hush up," Blaise warned, glaring at his other friend.

Haley slumped her shoulders. "Years?"

"It's not what you think, Harry. Draco-"

"Stop! I know what you're going to say and you swore you wouldn't say it!"

"But come on! They're being idiots! You _have_ to agree with me on that."

"Of course I do! But that doesn't mean we betray the trust Draco has bestowed upon us."

"Screw it," Pansy frowned. She turned to the other girl abruptly. "Harry, Draco's in love wi-"

Blaise covered Pansy's mouth with his hand. "You stop it right now." He turned his attention back to the other girl. "Harry, it's been wonderful getting to know you, but I'm afraid we'll be leaving now."

"No, wait-" Haley tried.

"See you later!" Blaise smiled, cheerily, still covering Pansy's mouth as he pulled her along with him.

Haley looked to Ethan. "Who is it?"

The brunette just looked back at her, not saying a word.

"Come on, Ethan. Who is it?"

He sighed. "With Malfoy… he tries real hard to be good at everything. You ever stop to think why?"

"Well no, but what does this have to do with anything?" She shook her head, not really understanding his meaning.

Again, Ethan sighed. "When you figure out who it is Draco's trying to prove himself to, then you'll figure out who he's in love with." Before she could say anything else, Ethan held up his hand to stop her. "That's all I'm going to say. Bye Harry. I'm glad to call you my friend." He took her hand in his and gently kissed it. "Remember, if it doesn't work out…" he smirked.

"Get out of here," Haley shoved him away, a smile on her face. "I'll see you later."

Ethan waved and turned to walk down the hall. He paused in seeing a figure turn the corner.

"Lucky fool…" he breathed. He shook his head and went his separate way.

"_Haley!!_"

Draco sped down the hall to his friend just in front of the statue of the eagle. A smile immediately came to Haley's face in seeing him. He charged right at the girl, slowing down only to catch her in his arms in an embrace. She gladly returned the hug.

"Thank goodness… I was worried I'd missed you…" Draco panted.

"You, sir, are late."

"It wasn't my fault… bloody stairs…"

Haley chuckled. "If you were any later, I would have thought that you weren't coming. And after you made me promise to stick around long enough to bid you farewell…"

"Well then it's good that I did otherwise you would have been tempted to leave. I would never forgive myself if I let you go without saying goodbye first."

The moment grew bittersweet the longer they stood there clinging to each other.

Draco sighed. "I'm going to miss you… things will certainly be quieter with you gone…"

"I'll miss you, too. Who else is going to insult me on a regular basis?"

"I could always send you an owl if you'd like…"

Haley hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Jerk." Despite her words, she was smiling. She pulled back, but not enough to be out of his arms. "You've been a wonderful friend to me Draco… if only circumstances had been different…"

"Yeah…"

Tears began to well in her eyes as she moved back into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. "…Who's going to protect me now?"

"I'll always be here for you, Haley… Just come back to me, okay?"

Haley didn't say anything in response. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that. Instead, she just pulled him closer, letting her tears fall from her eyes. "I'm really _really _going to miss you, Draco…"

"Me too…"

"…You're one of my best friends, you know…"

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, one of your many…"

"That's not true. There are only three people I consider to be my best friend… You're one of them. And considering how we started out, that's saying something…"

"True…" He nuzzled her neck. "You're my best friend too…"

She smiled. "One of many."

"One of two. Three, on good days."

Haley chuckled, but felt a lump in her throat as sadness began to wash over her. "I'm really really _really_ going to miss you…"

Draco smiled. "That much?"

"Yes."

"I'm just right here."

Haley sighed, her eyes welling even more. "_Now_ you are… what happens tomorrow?"

"I'll still be right here."

"…Really?" It was a question she really meant to ask herself. She wasn't so sure the answer was a positive one.

Her head was spinning with thoughts and a torrent of emotions, but all she could think of right now was how much she was going to miss Draco if things didn't work out as she hoped. She would miss his wit and even his stupid smirk. She'd miss teasing him and the way he would whine whenever she was gone too long. She'd miss those moments of comfort she felt just being with him and she'd miss all those times they were free to act like children with each other. Most of all, she would miss his smile. It was a smile that he rarely shared with much of anyone and one that she doubted she would see again as Harry. Thinking this, she let go of reason.

Overcome with yearning, Haley took Draco's head between her hands and reached up to plant a full kiss on his lips. Draco was slightly startled by the action but almost immediately returned the kiss, holding her closer still. Their lips savored the sensation they had both so longed for. Warmth enveloped her as her heart raced with the love she felt for him. Haley kissed him full and long, trying to insert every feeling she felt into the kiss. She wanted him to feel just how much she truly loved him. Haley kissed him twice more shortly and gently before finally pulling away from him with her eyes closed. She hung her head, resting the top of it against his chest.

She took a step back as both of them tried to control their breathing and the pounding of their hearts. She had granted herself this gift, but it was now time to face reality. 'He's in love with someone else.' It was the mantra that kept her from pleading with him to love her just as she loved him. She knew this and she accepted it.

Finally, she looked back up at him with a smile. "Don't forget to give back my necklace," she chuckled, despite the tears falling from her eyes. "It's important."

Draco blinked, but after a moment, came to. "…I know… As soon as it's fixed, it's yours… As it should be…" His eyes were sad, although he tried his best to keep his voice light.

"And Draco," Haley furrowed her brows, placing her palm over his heart. "Please, _please _remember… I'll always be your friend. No matter what."

The boy nodded. "I know…"

She took another step back, now completely out of his embrace. She tried to remain cheerful. "Goodbye Draco."

"Haley…"

She waved at him before turning to look at the eagle statue. She wiped her eyes and exhaled.

"Haley, wait."

Before she could even move, she felt herself being turned just as Draco held her face between his hands and kissed her again. She clung to him, relishing the moment. Draco kissed her fervently, with just as much passion as she did he. He wanted to comfort her in his kiss. He wanted her to know that tomorrow would be better even though she was leaving today. Breaking away from her lips, he pulled her close, hugging her, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"I care about you, Haley Jones… I hope you know that…"

Haley shut her eyes, saddened at how much the sound of her own name hurt. "…I know…"

"You have to come back to me, okay? You can't leave me…"

"I… Draco…"

He clung to her. "Please Haley… you have to come back to me…"

Her heart felt heavy. "I… I already told you, Draco… I'm always here for you. No matter what… You know where to find me…"

This seemed enough to settle the boy as he loosened his grip on her.

Haley pulled away from him and shook herself, trying to rid herself of the emotions that overtook her. Looking up at Draco, she forced a smile. "Okay… this is it."

Draco nodded slowly, although the last thing he wanted to do was let her go. "Okay… Goodbye Haley…"

"…Goodbye Draco."

Their eyes remained locked on each other as Haley walked backwards to the statue. She waved at him one last time before turning to face the eagle. She exhaled and gathered herself. "_Lemon Meringue_."

On cue, the eagle moved aside revealing the stairs to Dumbledore's office. She stepped on the first one, setting off the magic that moved the stairs upward. Haley looked back at Draco once more, not sure whether she'd ever be able to see him in this light again but knowing how much she wanted to. He, too, looked a little distraught as he watched her disappear further up the stairs. Soon, he was completely out of sight.

Haley looked forward, weighed down with emotions. She came to a halt just outside the headmaster's door, but she lingered just a little longer on the step. She hung her head. 'This is it… I'm going back to being me…I knew this was coming long before I even befriended Draco… So why does this feel so hard? This is what I want. I know that. I can't stay Haley… I don't want to… But…' She shook her head. 'No. Even though he wants Haley around, I have to come first. I can't be happy if I can't be myself. And maybe he'll learn to like me for who I am. Maybe he'll get over the fact that I'm really Harry. Maybe he'll be able to see _me_. And by then, this won't hurt as much. By then, if things go as I hope, I'll have gotten over him and we'll be able to carry on as Harry and Draco. Friends. _Best_ friends. Like how we are now.' She was satisfied with this decision. She had hope for it. This helped to lifts her spirits some. And so, finally feeling ready to move on, Haley opened the door.

"Ah, Miss Jones. Welcome," Professor Dumbledore smiled.

"Hello, sir. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's quite all right," the headmaster nodded in understanding. "It is never easy to leave a life you've grown used to."

"Yeah… but it helps in knowing you're returning to a life you enjoy. And finally being able to get away from these skirts helps too." She chuckled.

"Ah yes," Dumbledore laughed. "Your change of clothes is waiting for you in the other room."

Haley nodded. "Thank you, sir." She quickly changed out of her school uniform, mentally ecstatic in knowing this would be the last time she had to wear a skirt. She slipped into her normal clothes as Harry, bundling up her uniform and sticking back into her satchel. Glancing at herself once more in the mirror, Haley exhaled. 'Goodbye, Haley Jones. It was nice knowing you.' She stepped back out into the office eager to get this over with.

"Are you ready?" The headmaster asked, petting Fawkes upon his perch.

She exhaled. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"The antidote is there," he pointed to the vial on his desk. "You know what to do."

Haley nodded. Popping the cork, she downed the concoction in one fell swoop. "Ugh… I wish this tasted better…"

"It can't be as bad as earwax, could it?" The headmaster said with a smile.

Haley smiled back. "What would possess a person to make an earwax-flavored jellybean anyway? It can't really be good with sales."

"I suppose it's the thought of never knowing what you'll be biting into next that keeps people wanting more."

"True… but earwax?"

Dumbledore just laughed again.

She sighed and looked at her watch. "Isn't something supposed to happen by now?"

The older man frowned. "I'm not su-"

"Oh, there it goes!" she groaned. Haley doubled-over, falling to her knees on the office floor. The all-too familiar rumbling came to her stomach as she felt herself change one final time. Her hair dramatically receded as she felt herself grow to her normal height. It was over mere moments after it had begun.

Harry Potter stood up. He looked at his hands. He ran them through his now short hair. With a chuckle, he ran them over his chest, happy to be free of female parts. He turned to look at the headmaster. Smiling, Harry cheered. "I'm back!"

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore smiled.

"Oh it's good to be back, sir. _Real_ good!" Harry jumped around, flexing his joints as if he hadn't used them in quite some time. "And my voice! It's back too! Oh I'm so happy! This is great. _Life_ is great. _YES_!"

Dumbledore laughed at his favorite student's exuberance.

Harry walked up to the headmaster, took his hand in his, and shook it vigorously. "Thank you, sir. Thank you for everything!"

"You should be thanking Professors Snape and Sprout for this."

"I will. I'll bake them both cakes!" Harry laughed. "I'm back!"

"That's all good and well, Mr. Potter, but I'm afraid you're beginning to startle poor Fawkes."

"Oh," Harry stopped his prancing. "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose I should go now. Thank you again, Professor."

"You're very welcome, Harry."

Harry eagerly flew out the door and trotted down the steps. His spirits were high. He felt good. Nothing could get him down.

"Potter."

Nothing except that. Harry froze. Draco had been waiting at the bottom of the steps. He straightened up in seeing Harry.

All the emotions Harry had felt spurred within him once more. He was happy to see Draco. In fact, he was fighting the temptation to run over to the boy and hug him just as he had no more than fifteen minutes before. But in hearing Draco use his surname, Harry felt glued to the spot. He didn't know if Draco would accept him and that worried him. So Harry stayed put.

"…Malfoy."

If hearing Harry use his surname bothered him, Draco didn't show it except for a momentary crease between his brows. Harry wasn't even sure he really saw it.

"So… you're really back, then?"

Harry didn't know what to make of his tone. Draco didn't sound happy or sad. However, his expression did make him seem a little upset. Harry was sure of the crease this time. It didn't help that the corners of Draco's lips were turned down in a small frown either.

"Yes. I am," he nodded. He didn't know what else to say. He could feel the tension begin to grow, that he could swear he could feel it. Harry was nervous.

"So-"

"_Harry_!!"

The two boys looked to the source of the voice.

Hermione ran down the hall with Ron right behind her. Harry smiled at the sight of his two best friends. The three hugged each other, leaving the fourth somewhat forgotten.

"Welcome back, Harry!" Hermione smiled.

"Yeah, welcome back, mate!" Ron cheered, draping his arm around Harry's shoulders. "Zabini told us you would be arriving soon so we came to greet you."

"Well, thanks," Harry smiled.

"Oh," Hermione blinked. "Hello, Malfoy. What're you doing here?"

Draco momentarily looked surprised in having finally been spotted. He quickly straightened himself up, his familiar sneer appearing on his face. "I was here to say goodbye to Haley." His eyes darted to Harry's. "Obviously, she's gone now."

Harry wanted to reach out to the other boy. "Dra-"

"Well _obviously_," Ron shook his head. He turned his attention back to his friend. "Come on. There's a party waiting for you in the common room. Everyone's excited that you're back."

"Not everyone…" Harry said under his breath, his eyes still on Draco. The other boy looked away momentarily before looking back at Harry.

"Nonsense," Ron grinned, pulling his two best friends along with him. "Everyone missed you. There's cake and ice cream and everything. We had to sneak it all upstairs, but it's all worth it."

The trio walked down the hall, leaving Draco in his place. Green stayed locked with grey until, once they turned the corner, they could be seen no more.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Need I remind you of my lack of ownership? I didn't think so.

So… the big change. And Harry and Draco's first official kiss. Aren't you glad you waited so long for this one? I read and reread things just to make sure things worked. I even tied up loose strings so that after this, all that's left is Draco and Harry. Most likely. I somehow managed to miss class today, which is sad because I was only one elevator ride away from it. What good is it to go to school and not go to class?!?! Shame on me. Missing class is bad, okay? Even if it is to write the next chapter of a Harry Potter fanfic. But at least this is a longer one, right? Right?!

P.S. I, too, randomly say 'EPIC' when things are awesomely badass. Almost as much as I say dude. Dude? Duuude. Epic. Chyah. When it comes to speaking, I am far less than articulate than one might assume.

Thanks for all your comments! They make me smile so I encourage you to write even more of them! Yeah! Have a nice day!!


	34. Moving On

The Exchange – Moving On

* * *

Harry idly ran the fingers of his right hand against his lips. Anyone who spotted the boy might've thought he was in some sort of daze and that he was deep in quiet contemplation. But what no one would guess was what had Harry so lost in thought.

'His lips were so soft… are mine that soft? Am I a good kisser? Was that good for _him_? It was certainly nice for me…'

"Hello? Earth to Harry? Please come in?"

Harry blinked and slowly looked up at his two best friends, confused. "Yes?"

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked. "We've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about… something." He looked around the common room, now nearly deserted. Earlier it had been packed with Gryffindors, happy that Harry had returned. They were all so eager to find out where he had been and what he had done and what he had seen. When half of them realized that the rumors had been false and that Harry wasn't off fighting some demonic creature at the ends of the earth, they seemed to have lost interest. The other half made idle chitchat about what it was like at an American school. Harry answered to the best of his abilities but was glad when people stopped coming up to him. And now, they were all gone. "Where did everybody go?"

"They're all heading down for supper," Ron said, knocking his friend lightly on the head much to the other's chagrin. "So come on. Get up. Let's go." He took Harry's arm and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm not all that hungry… it must be from all that cake," Harry said, patting his stomach and sitting back down at the table.

"Yeah, but isn't Dumbledore supposed to announce your grand return?" Ron asked. "People want to know that their hero is still in good condition."

"Oh they'll be fine," Harry said with a wave of his hand.

"Harry, what's that?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. She was pointing to his necklace.

Harry reflexively held it in his hand. "Oh. Umm… Draco gave it to me."

"That's not the one you got for Christmas…" Ron said, taking a better look at the piece of jewelry.

"Errr, no. That one broke."

"That's not the one you and your friends spent all day looking for, is it?" Hermione asked, moving closer to examine the pendant.

He shook his head slowly. "No. That's the one that broke. He gave this to me in the mean time. Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking. If you were wearing that as Haley this whole time, what would people think if they saw _you_ wearing it."

He immediately understood and again he shook his head. "I'm not taking this off. It's important to me."

"Okay, then how about you just wear it?" Ron shrugged. "It's a ring. So wear it on one of your fingers. Problem solved."

"But…"

"Harry, people know that the necklace was Haley's thing. People talked about that day, saying how strange you and your friends looked in that awkward conga line of yours," Hermione reasoned. "I'm just saying… you don't need to give them any reasons to connect you two."

Harry sighed and slowly nodded. "Okay…you're right. The last thing I want is for everyone to figure out where I really was or who for that matter. And it'll still mean the same thing, right? Whether it's around my neck or around my finger, it'll still hold the same meaning, right?"

"Sure," Ron shrugged nonchalantly. Hermione just nodded with a smile.

"Okay." Harry pulled his necklace over his head and undid the knot to slide the ring into the palm of his hand. He tried to slip it on his right hand middle finger. He frowned. "Odd… I would've thought it was one of those magically adjusting bands…"

"It doesn't fit?" Hermione asked.

Harry just shook his head. "It's a little tight…"

"Then just try a different finger," Ron offered.

Harry did as he was told. He tried his right hand ring finger. It, too, was a little tight. "Geez… I never realized how small Draco's hands were," Harry frowned. He tried his left hand middle finger. Again, it was a no go. Then Harry tried every finger he could and when there was only one finger left to try, he looked desperately at his friends. "Okay. There's a good chance that it won't fit here and that my hands are just incredibly large for this ring. I mean, come on. Ten digits and it doesn't fit any of them except this one? Not likely, right?" He tried.

His friends nodded in encouragement.

"Okay," Harry nodded. He slipped the ring on his left hand ring finger. He flexed his hand, testing the fit. Harry frowned and pulled the ring back off.

"What?" Hermione wondered. "Doesn't fit?"

He looked at her with a frown. "It does."

"So then what's the problem?" Ron asked.

"It's my ring finger. It'll be like… like I'm marrying him or something."

"Oh pish-posh," Hermione frowned with a wave of her hand. "You're young. People will know that you're not getting married. They'll just think it's a commitment ring." She cleared her throat and looked expectantly at her boyfriend.

This time Ron frowned. "What?"

"Ugh," Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're helpless, Ronald."

The redhead just smiled and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "You don't need a ring to know how much I love you."

"But it would still be nice…"

Ron picked up Harry's discarded string and pulled out his wand. "_Diffindo_." A small piece remained between his fingers as he let the larger piece fall back to the table where Harry sat. He tied a knot at the ends and held up Hermione's hand, slipping the makeshift ring on. "There," he said, kissing it.

Part of her frowned at the string, but the better part of her was touched by the act. "Oh Ron…"

"It's just a temporary one, okay? I just need to save up for a really nice one so until then, this is all I can offer."

A grin spread across Hermione's face. "Ron… you really _do_ have a romantic side that _doesn't_ involve sharing food…" She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck and kissed him firmly on the lips.

Ron wrapped one arm around Hermione's waist and used his free arm to give Harry a thumb's up. Harry had to stifle his laughter, but was warmed by the transaction of his two best friends. He was happy for them. He slipped the ring back onto his finger and gazed at it somberly. He hoped he would find happiness like that of his own.

---

Dinner was incredibly intense and borderline uncomfortable with Harry. He didn't mind all the attention and applause when Professor Dumbledore announced his triumphant return. No. Harry was used to that kind of thing. He didn't even feel all that awkward answering questions that he didn't even really know the answers to. Luckily, Dean was nearby to coach him but that wasn't what was bothering the boy who lived. He would have been fine with all of that. But feeling the harsh gaze that Draco bore unto him was what was driving Harry to the brink of insanity. Every time he looked at the Slytherin table over to the head boy, he wasn't looking. But every time he took his eyes off the table, he would feel the intensity of Draco's gaze once more. Harry slightly wondered if he really was going crazy or if he was simply being paranoid but when Ginny Weasley commented on how Draco was staring at their table so intently, Harry knew that it wasn't just in his head.

Harry frowned. 'Draco… what are you thinking?'

The boy on the other side of the room was having difficult time all his own. He only half heard what Blaise and Pansy were talking about. His attention was mostly focused on the boy he so missed even though he wasn't all that far away. He idly glanced at the gap next to him and missed him even more. And once he started playing with the ring around his finger, his heart yearned for the company of his friend.

'Come back to me, Harry…' Draco pined. '…Let me know you still want me as a friend.'

---

The next morning when post was being dropped off, Harry was surprised to see a letter fall into his lap. It was unmarked. Tearing it open, it was a simple note. It read 'Dear H – I miss your ugly face. –Love D'

Harry smiled, despite the blatant insult. He wanted to write back but didn't exactly know what to say. Plus, this was the time he had planned on getting over Draco. Harry hoped that Draco wouldn't mind his refusal to write back. At least for now. Right now, Harry had to focus on not focusing on Draco.

It wasn't all that hard at first when people were still questioning him about his trip. Harry concentrated on spinning his elaborate web of lies. It kept him pretty occupied throughout the day. Even Blaise's little stunt before potions class kept Harry's mind off Draco, if only for a moment.

"Oy. Potter," Blaise said, looking around, making sure that their other classmates were listening. His chest was puffed up and he placed his hands on his hips.

"Um, hello." Harry tried not to laugh. He gave his friend a curious expression as if to ask 'what are you doing?'

"So you were in America all this time, right?" Blaise asked, encouraging Harry to play along.

"That is correct."

"Well I enjoy America. Did you enjoy America?"

"Um, yes?" Harry smiled awkwardly.

"Well look at that. We both enjoy America. Now we have something in common. Now it won't be so strange that we, Blaise Zabini and Harry Potter, speak to one another since we both enjoy America."

Now, Harry had to laugh. "No. I suppose not."

"Good. And just so you know, my other friend over there, Maxwell, also enjoys America. Now we can all be good friends."

Harry nodded. "Okay. Sounds good."

"All right, then. I'm glad we got that out of the way." Blaise returned to his seat, only after winking at the other boy and giving him two thumbs up.

Harry was amused by their exchange, but if it allowed him the company of two of the good friends he had gained while he was Haley, he was perfectly happy with it. Later, even Pansy approached Harry having claimed to 'enjoy America' as well. Harry shrugged. All he cared about was getting his friends back. However, that wouldn't be so easy with the one that he wanted the most.

It was easy to avoid Draco. Harry didn't have to see him in classes anymore except for the two that he shared with him. But Harry found ways to keep himself occupied as to not have to approach nor make eye contact with the other boy. Harry was convinced that this was the best way to get over the person that he loved and there was no changing that. Every time he felt the urge to go to him, Harry repeated his mantra: 'He's in love with someone else.' And even though this would only serve to make him a little sad, he was convinced that this was the practical way to go. He still clung to the hope that he would be able to befriend Draco once his heart stopped pining for him, but for now there was only evasion.

That's how the next three days went. Harry spent his time avoiding any contact with Draco, although the notes he received from the Slytherin was making it hard to forget how much his heart wanted to be with him. He had received one for every day he had been gone.

'Dear H – It's not nearly as fun terrorizing Blustrode for her weight as it is for you. I mean, there's a lot of it on you to terrorize, of course. I miss you. – Love D'

'Dear H – I can't believe it, but I somehow got used to listening to your snores between our wall. They somehow lulled me to sleep. I can't sleep anymore. Feel guilty enough to come back? – Love D'

'Dear H – No insult this time. I just miss you. Please come back. – Love D'

Harry's heart ached at the words he had read over and over again, although by now they were committed to memory. Every time he finished reading one, he glanced over to Draco at the Slytherin table. Like always, he was never looking. Harry sighed.

'Maybe he's not looking at Harry… Maybe he's looking for Haley… He keeps telling me to come back. Does that mean he wants me to change back? He knows I was Haley so he knows what he's asking of me. Does he really expect me to be a girl again for him?'

These thoughts plagued Harry all day. He was never sure of the answer until he headed for the lavatory during lunch.

"He hasn't written back to me."

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Draco. Harry paused as curiosity won him over. He placed his back against the wall to remain unseen so he could listen in.

"I'm sure he's got a good reason," replied a second voice. Harry knew it was Blaise. "He did say that he would use this time to get over you."

"That's stupid. I want my friend back. I want Haley back. I never should have let her go."

Harry's heart leapt to his throat. 'What…?'

Draco continued on. "I wish she'd never left. He should just transform back so I can be with her again."

'No…' Harry mentally cried as real tears started to form in his eyes. 'It's true then! He really _was _separating me from Haley. And now he wants her back. Despite knowing who I really am, does he really think I could change back for him?' Harry shook his head dejectedly before retreating from the voices that struck him down.

However, the conversation continued.

"That's stupid, Draco. You don't like _Haley_. You like _Harry_."

"Yeah, but _Haley_ never ignored me for this long. I was allowed to hold and even kiss Haley. Harry won't even look at me."

"Give him a reason to. Think from his perspective. He was changed into a girl and it was as this new girl that he was able to be your friend when before this you two were nothing but enemies. He fell in love with you and he even confessed to you. But you rejected him. And now he's back to being the boy that he thinks is your enemy."

"He should know that I care for him. Yes, I grew close to Haley, but I knew it was him all along."

"He doesn't know that! To Harry, you're friends with Haley. Not him."

"So… that's it then? That's why he's avoiding me?"

Blaise shrugged. "That's what makes the most sense."

"You think if I just tell him that I know…"

"I think that's one elephant of a drove that'll be out of the room. You two have too many secrets and it's about time you clear the air of them."

Draco slowly nodded, realizing this as the truth. "Then I'll get my friend back?"

"If he still cares for you, you'll probably get more."

Draco smiled. "Okay then. I'll do it. I'll tell him."

---

Harry ran until he felt too weak to go any further. He found himself near the potions classroom. Seeing how everyone else was still enjoying their lunches, the corridor was deserted.

'This can't be…' Harry panted. He collapsed against the nearest wall, letting himself slide down to the floor. 'Really? He really just wants Haley? But what would that mean for me?' Harry shook his head, weeping against his drawn up knees. 'I don't stand a chance of becoming his friend. He doesn't want to be _Harry's_ friend… he just wants _Haley_…'

Harry grew angry. He knew it was stupid of him to despise a persona, but he couldn't help but resent ever having been Haley Jones. 'It's not fair! What's so wrong with _me_? Does he really despise me _that_ much?' Harry thought of their history together. They had been rivals in everything. They quarreled and spat, they dueled and they fought. They truly had hated the other. It wasn't until he became Haley that Harry was able to get over this. Being someone new allowed him to see the good within Draco. 'But at the time,' Harry reasoned, 'Draco just thought I was Haley. He didn't know who I was at first. He thought he was making a new friend, not befriending an enemy… I don't know when he figured it out, but by then, I guess we were already too good of friends for him to let that bother him… But now that I'm back to being his enemy, he wants nothing to do with me…'

Harry was finding harder to breathe. 'I'm _Harry_… I don't want to be Haley just so I can be his friend. I want to be _Harry_… I'm sorry Draco… I have to break that promise… I can't come back to you. At least not now. Maybe one day I'll find the courage to be Haley again to rekindle our friendship, but now… now I have to be me.'

This seemed to calm the boy down. He leaned the back of his head against the wall, letting fresh air enter his lungs. His eyes felt swollen, so he closed them in an attempt to refresh them. Voiding his mind of any thoughts, Harry took deep breaths and willed himself to calm down. He was like this for a good ten minutes.

"Oy! Harry!"

The Gryffindor looked to his side and spotted Seamus and Dean approaching. He hoped he looked much better than he felt. Forcing a smile, he stood and greeted his friends.

"So this is where you've been?" Dean asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I just needed some quiet time. Why?"

"Well, oddly enough, Malfoy was asking around for you."

Harry's immediately felt the lump in his throat. He tried to swallow it down. "What… for?"

"Who knows?" Seamus shrugged. "But considering all those death glares he's been sending you since your return, I'd steer clear of the man."

Slowly, Harry nodded. "Okay."

The hall gradually filled with students ready for class. Ron and Hermione eventually came to Harry's side.

"There you are, Harry," Hermione said with relief. "You never came back from the restroom."

"Yeah, mate. We were worried you fell in!" Ron joked.

Harry offered a small smile.

Recognizing her friend's somber mood, Hermione frowned. "Harry? Are you all right?"

He sighed. "…Not really."

Ron frowned and immediately threw an arm around his friend. "What happened?"

Just then, Professor Snape appeared around the corner to open his classroom. One by one, the students began to file in.

"I'll tell you later," he said to his friends. And with that, he led the way into the class and they took up their regular seats.

Surprisingly, Draco was the last one to enter the room. His eyes quickly scanned the area stopping only once they had reached its target. 'Damn… he was already here...' Shaking his head and sighing, Draco took his seat.

"All right. Over the week, we've learned the properties of the _Celeritas_ potion. Used for what? Longbottom."

"Err… to… um… run fast?"

Snape sneered. "Good. Five points to Gryffindor."

Neville sighed with relief, earning himself a few pats from Seamus and Dean.

The teacher continued. "Today we will be making the _Celeritas_ potion. I've already partnered you off. Granger, Zabini. Parkinson, Maxwell. Thomas, Goyle. Longbottom, Weasley. Potter-"

At this, Snape's eyes darted to the boy currently waving for his attention. He looked at Draco curiously as the boy pointed to his self. "Potter …Malfoy."

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course."

Snape finished his list as Harry picked up his things and moved to where the blonde was seated. He refused to look into the boy's eyes, afraid he would lose himself in them.

"Potter." Draco said.

Harry sighed. "Malfoy."

"Try not to screw this one up. I know how terrible you are at potions," the Slytherin joked.

However, Harry didn't find it all that funny. "Then I'll cut and you mix." He walked away from Draco who no longer had a smirk on his lips. Grabbing the necessary ingredients, Harry began to cut.

"Are you all right?" Draco tried.

Harry didn't answer. He ignored the other boy and began to chop some knotgrass.

"Potter?"

Again, Harry didn't respond.

"_Potter_?"

Harry closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Placing his knife down, he turned to look at the other boy. "What?"

"I asked you if you're all right."

"Peachy." Harry turned back to his chopping.

Draco frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"_Nothing's_ wrong with me. That's something _you_ need to figure out."

Draco was confused. "What?"

Again, Harry put down his knife and rounded up on Draco. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco was quiet for a moment. Then, "…I want my friend back."

"You can't." Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"Why not?"

"Maybe that's not something your friend wants. Maybe they like their life the way it is, even if it means having to live without you." He looked at Draco, sadness in his eyes.

However, Draco looked stricken as a hitch became visible in his breathing. He took a step away from the other boy.

"…Draco-" Harry moved to touch the other boy.

"Don't!" He ran a hand through his hair, finding it difficult to stop the onslaught of emotions that dared to overcome him. He grabbed his things and abruptly headed for the door.

"Mister Malfoy!" Snape barked.

Draco didn't flinch. He continued towards the door, not looking back once. "I don't feel very well, Professor. I'm going to the nurse." And with that, Draco was gone.

Harry returned his attention from the back of the door to the knotgrass. He was painfully aware of the eyes on him, but he didn't dare look up. He was afraid that if he did, they would see the tears falling down his face.

* * *

Author's Note/Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Draco Malfoy. Haha.

Happy Thanksgiving Day, fellow Americans! And Happy Thursday to the rest of the world. Yes. So whilst it is Thanksgiving, I'd like to thank all of you for reading! And thank you again for reviewing! And another thanks for sticking around, especially during those bad dry spells! I apologize! And… thanks for making me smile with your comments. I enjoy each and every one of them. And… what else? Thank you to my laptop for allowing me to type here and thank you to my computer who allows my playlist to go on repeat and thanks to the man who found out how yummy coffee beans are when ground and mixed with water and creamer and sugar. Yes. The list can go on and on.

P.S. I didn't miss class for this one! Yay!

P.P.S. Umm… are any of you expecting sexual relations to transpire between our two heroes? Let me know!


	35. Reconciliation

The Exchange – Reconciliation

* * *

"Come on, Harry! Get out of bed!"

"No! I don't want to! The world hates me! I hate my life!"

Ron rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatics.

It was already Sunday, three days since Harry overheard Blaise and Draco in the corridor. He had since told Ron and Hermione about the incident, including what had happened in potions class. They were surprised, but sorry for their friend. They knew how much Draco had meant to him.

"It's already noon, Harry. I think it's time for you to get up."

"No…" Harry groaned, turning on his side, away from his friend. "He hates me! I should've known from the very beginning! Of course he hates me! He's always hated me…" Harry shut his eyes. "He doesn't want Harry… he wants Haley…" He scoffed at the idea.

"You're beginning to sound like a pathetic lovesick schoolgirl."

Harry sat up only to scowl at his friend. "I do not."

"Would you listen to yourself? 'I hate the world! The world hates me!' Pansy." Ron mocked. At the glare he was receiving, Ron sighed and continued. "Look, I don't know how the inner workings of Malfoy function. But I do know that if he doesn't want to be your friend now just because you're Harry means that he's an arse that doesn't deserve your friendship to begin with."

Harry sighed and collapsed back onto his pillow, draping his right arm over his eyes.

Ron sat on the edge of Harry's bed. "You can't go on like this mate."

"Is he still moping around?"

Ron looked to the door as Seamus entered with Dean. "Hey guys," he greeted.

"Hey Ron. Come on, Harry. You'll have to get out of bed eventually," Dean tried.

"Then I'll move when I'm good and ready." Harry grumbled.

Seamus scoffed. "The way you've been acting sure seems like you're heartbroken. Is that it? Did you meet a pretty girly over in America?" The Irish boy grinned. "It that the ring she gave to you on your departure?"

Harry quickly moved his left hand from his belly to hide it under the covers. "No. Of course not. It's nothing. Leave me alone."

"Awww, poor Harry's lovesick. It all makes sense now!" Seamus laughed.

Harry looked at Ron from under his arm. He looked to him for help. Ron sighed in exasperation.

"Dean! Would you get a hold of your boyfriend? Get him out of here!"

"What're you yelling at me for?" Dean frowned, but still took Seamus' hand. "Come on, you. You're causing enough trouble for one day."

"Don't be mad at me cause I'm right, Harry!" Seamus smiled as he was being led out the door.

"Dean!" Ron growled.

"We're going, we're going!" Dean defended, closing the door behind them.

Again, Ron sighed and looked back to his friend. "I told you you're acting like a schoolgirl."

"Bugger off."

"Harry," Ron tried again, moving the other boy's arm to look him in the eye. "This isn't good. You need to get out of bed and for goodness' sake, _eat_ something. You're wasting away. Haven't you even found the need to use the toilet?"

"I have very good bladder control."

"Gross," the redhead said, face contorting in disgust. "Look, mate. Maybe you just need to look at him separately too. The Malfoy who's your friend is some other guy that you met while you were away. And now you're back here where there's another Malfoy. One that you hate. One that has nothing to do with the bloke you fell in love with. If he finds it easy to forget that you're the same person, then maybe you need to realize that he's not the same person, too."

Harry squinted his eyes in malcontent. "That's stupid. They _are_ the same person. Just like how Haley and _I_ are the same person."

Ron threw up his hands in frustration. "Then I don't know what to tell you, mate. But I _do_ know that I hate seeing you like this. So. Get. Out. Of. Bed." He emphasized each word by poking his friend in the chest.

When Harry's only response was to pull his covers over his head, Ron crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's it. I'm pulling out the big guns now, Potter." Ron stood and walked towards the door. "I'm getting Hermione."

Harry shoved the covers off him and sat up. "Wait, no! Not her!"

---

"Draco? Come on! You've been in there all day!"

"So what? Leave me alone."

"Open your door."

"Go. _Away_."

"Open, open, open, open, open, open-"

"_Piss off_!"

"Open, open, open, open, open, open-"

Blaise jumped back as the door flung open. He smiled, but in seeing the disarray of the usually pristine Draco, he instantly frowned. "You look horrible, mate."

"What do you want?" Draco growled. He was still in his pajamas and his hair was wild.

"You've been in there all day. And you were there all day yesterday. It's about time you get out."

"No. There's nothing out there for me. He hates me."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "He does not _hate_ you." He pushed his way into the head boy's room.

Draco closed the door and crawled back under the covers of his bed. "Yes he does. He said he's happier without me in his life. He _hates_ me."

Blaise hopped onto the bed and sat next the heap that was Draco. "I can guarantee, mate, that Harry does _not_ hate you."

"Did he say so?"

"Of course! He said he loved you!"

Draco scoffed. "That's what he said when he was _her_. But now, now that he's back to being him and back to remembering what it was life before he was _she_, he _hates_ me!"

Blaise tried to wrap his brain around what his friend had just said. He shook his head. "Nonsense. He's just as miserable as you are!"

At this, Draco looked out from under the covers. "Really? How do you know?"

"I talked to Granger and Weasley just yesterday. Apparently, Harry refused to come out of his dorm room as well."

"Really?" Draco asked again, sounding a little hopeful. "You're not just making that up to make me move?"

"Would I lie?"

"Yes."

"About _this_?"

"Yes."

"Ugh." Blaise scoffed. "I'll prove it to you. Meet me over by the potions classroom at three and you'll see for yourself.

"Why? What's going to happen?"

"Are you going to go?"

"…Maybe."

"Then you'll just have to wait and see. And for God's sake, man, take a bath. You seriously look revolting. With that, Blaise hopped off the bed and left the room. Closing the door, he smiled mischievously. 'I hope those two were right…'

---

'Okay. Okay. I can do this. I will get over Draco. I'll just stop thinking about him. Ron kicked me out of my bed for a reason. I need to stretch my legs. That's all. I'm walking around the school to stretch my legs. And I won't think about Draco. In fact, I'm not even going to call him Draco in my head anymore, you got that brain? It's Malfoy from now on, just like it should be. Okay? Malfoy. He has no first name. It's just Malfoy. Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy. Okay that's not helping. I need to stop thinking about him. Oh look! What's that? It's a suit of armor! A knight! Knights are good. They protect people. Just like how Draco protects me. Oh wait! No! Bad brain! Let's look over here… there's Pavarti and Lavender. Smile and wave at the girls. Good. Is that a dragon pendant around Lavender's neck? Draco means dragon. No! Not again! Okay, okay. Umm… look outside! Yes. The sky is covered in clouds. Fluffy grey clouds. Grey… just like Draco's eyes. No! …Hey look! It's Dobby! …Dammit!'

"Argh!" Harry growled rather loudly.

The people who passed him in the corridor just stared in bewilderment before hurrying along away from the disheveled golden boy.

"This isn't working…" Harry frowned to himself. "Everything I think about just leads me back to Draco…" Harry sighed and hopped onto the ledge of the window and stared out into the frost-covered school grounds.

'Look at me… I'm a mess. Ron's right. I've been acting like a fool. Wallowing in self-loathing? Really? That's not me at all. I'm Harry Potter. I've got to get myself together. I can do this. If Draco finds it easy to forget that we were friends, then I should do the same. I don't need him. I've got other friends who like me for me. I don't need Draco.' Though it sounded good in his head, he didn't feel all too convinced.

Harry took a deep breath and hopped down from his sitting place. 'Oh look. It's Draco.'

The Gryffindor did a double take towards the figure at the end of the hall. 'Oh shit! It's Draco!'

Harry's first instinct was to run. His adrenaline was already pumping through his veins and he was ready for lift-off at any moment. However, his feet were planted to the spot.

Draco, having spotted the other boy, headed down the hall towards Harry. Anyone who might've noticed the Gryffindor would have been able to see the inner battle waging within his head. Harry rocked back and forth trying to decide whether or not to face the blonde or flee from him, all the while Draco continued to get closer and closer.

'What is he doing? Why is he coming this way? Is he going to talk to me? What is he going to talk about? What should I do? Should I talk to him? Should I go? I don't want to face him right now! What do I do?' Harry's mind was racing with each step Draco took.

When the blonde was only a few meters away, Harry panicked. 'Maybe he didn't see me?' This was clearly not the case as he felt Draco's gaze bore into him. However, reason wasn't really on Harry's side at the moment. So when Draco was only a few paces away, Harry finally regained control of his legs and bolted from the spot.

"Potter! Get back here!" Draco growled after a moment of surprise at Harry's sudden departure. He sounded angry in Harry's ears.

He didn't have to look back to know that Draco was following him. Harry ran as fast as he could from the boy. He didn't know why exactly he felt like running, but all he could comprehend was that Draco was getting closer and Harry needed to be farther.

"Dammit Potter!"

Harry knew that Draco was getting angrier, but he didn't care. He sped down a flight of stairs jumping the last fours steps.

"_Petrificus Totalis_!" Draco tried.

"_Protego_!"

The two spells clashed, nullifying the other. Harry turned to speed down another set of stairs, leading to the entrance of the school.

"_Glisseo_!"

The steps underneath Harry transformed into a ramp, making the boy lose his footing to tumble down the rest of the way.

"Ah!" Harry yelped, landing hard on his rear.

Draco slid down the steps with ease, and having finally caught up to the Gryffindor, yanked Harry up to his feet by the collar of his shirt. "You…" he growled through gritted teeth, trying to collect himself after the extensive chase.

"Let go!" Harry complained. He suddenly relaxed and looked beyond Draco. "Oh. Professor Snape."

"What?" Draco turned his head and looked behind him.

Harry took the opportunity to flee from the other boy's grasp.

Realizing the trick he had fallen for, Draco huffed. "Dammit Potter! Get back here!"

By then, Harry was long gone.

Draco stared at where Harry had disappeared. He exhaled deeply and felt his heart sink. 'Why…?'

Harry rounded the next few corridors as if he had sipped some of the _Celeritas _potion and once he felt like his legs were going to fall off, he slowed down, making sure that Draco hadn't followed. He came to a stop and bent over, resting his hands on his knees. 'That was close… he did _not_ look happy… and I just can't deal with him right now. It hurts too much to see him. I should just go back to my bed…' He glanced at his watch. It was almost three. 'No… Hermione told me to meet her by the potions class at three. I better go now else she guilt me into doing something else.'

So, defeated, Harry trekked over to the potions class.

"Ah! There you are! Good," Ron smiled, getting up from where he sat on the floor. "Good to see you out of bed, mate." The redhead threw an arm around Harry shoulders and gave him a light squeeze.

"I was afraid of what _she_ was going to do if I _didn't_ show up," he motioned to Hermione who was still seated on the floor. She grinned triumphantly at Harry's word. "So why did you want me to come here."

"You'll see. It shouldn't be too long, now," Hermione said. She stood and grabbed Harry's wrist to look at his watch. "Yeah… any moment now."

"Come on! Don't dillydally!"

In hearing the voice, Ron subtly readjusted his hold on Harry to get a better grip. Hermione, with her magic, managed to ease Harry's wand out of the unsuspecting boy's pocket. She quickly hid the wand up her sleeve, making sure Harry didn't see a thing.

"Is that… Blaise?" Harry wondered aloud.

Ron braced himself.

Blaise appeared around the corner with Ethan and Pansy. They glanced up at the other three down the hall, and smirked. The two boys reached behind them and shoved a fourth person forward.

"What? Hey!" Draco snarled, not appreciating being tossed around like a doll. He stumbled forward, glaring at the three behind him.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Harry asked rather loudly.

Draco's head snapped in the direction of the boy. "…What?" He looked between the trio behind him to the trio in front of him.

Realization settled into the pit of Harry's stomach before he tried to pull away from the redhead. Unfortunately, by now, Ron had a pretty good grip on his friend.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Harry yelled, trying twist his way out of Ron's grasp.

"Sorry, mate. Not this time." Ron smiled apologetically. "_Stupefy_."

Harry instantly went limp in the taller boy's arms. Hermione maneuvered around the two Gryffindors and opened the door to the classroom. Ron shoved the other boy through the door, none too lightly.

"What are you doing?!" Draco cried, running past them into the room. He pulled out his wand cradled Harry. "_Rennervate_."

Distracted as Harry's eyes fluttered open, Pansy hurried to the doorway and pointed her own wand at Draco. "_Expelliarmus_!" She caught her friend's wand in her hand with smile.

"What are you doing?!" Draco demanded, yet again. However, none of the people standing outside cared to answer.

Harry jumped up and hurried to the door. He locked eyes with Hermione as she mouthed to him "I'm sorry" before shutting the door in his face. "No! Hey! Let us out!" He pounded on the door.

"No way! You two need to work things out, for _all_ our sakes." It was Blaise who spoke.

"That's right. We're not opening this door until you work things out. All these dramatics are ridiculous!" This time it was Ron.

"No, _you're_ being ridiculous! Now let me out!" Harry bellowed.

This time, he got no response.

"I know you can hear me!"

"Just stop it, Potter."

Harry spun around, almost having forgot that Draco was there with him. The blonde had his eyes shut as he massaged his left temple. He was seated behind one of the desks. Harry frowned. "What? You'd rather be locked up in here?"

"Well, no-"

"It was probably _you_ who put them up to this, isn't it?"

Draco instantly sneered. "Of course not! I would never stoop to such trickery."

"Ugh… whatever…" Harry groped his pockets, trying to find his wand. "Hey… my wand…"

"They probably took it from you. They took mine, too."

The Gryffindor groaned. "Great…" He ran a hand through his hair. 'I can't stay here. I don't want to be trapped here like this with him. I have to get out of here.' Harry looked around the room. He half-hoped to spot any leftover _Transpartium _potion, but he had no such luck. And the door to Snape's ingredients room was securely locked so there was no chance in trying to brew the stuff. Instead, he set his sights on a row of small windows near the ceiling of the class. "Aha!"

Draco followed Harry's gaze as the other boy hurried over to the window. He leapt, but came up painfully short. Harry looked around the room again and spotted the stools the students sit on during session. He grabbed one and set it just under the window.

"Does the idea of being stuck here with me really make you _that_ desperate to get out?"

"It has nothing to do with you, Malfoy." Harry replied, not looking the other boy in the eye. He climbed up the chair. "I'm just not fond of being trapped, period." At least it was half-true.

The Gryffindor stretched as far as he could to unlatch the window. He smiled in success. Pulling the window toward him, he was instantly doused with blanket of snow. In hearing Draco's sniggers, he glared at the other boy before returning his attention back to the window. Wiping himself of the snow, he pulled the window back again and tried to pull himself up to get through it. However, Harry just wasn't high enough. He looked around again for a higher stool, but this time he came up short. His eyes landed on Draco who was watching him curiously.

"Come here." Harry ordered.

"Why?"

"Help me through."

"Why? So you can leave me here?"

"No, you fool. I'll help you out once I'm outside, but I just can't reach by myself. And you are currently the tallest object in this room."

"I don't think I'm fond of being a tool, Potter."

"Just come here already!"

Draco groaned, but did what he was told. He stood in front of the stool and looked up at the raven-haired boy. "What do you want?"

"Give me a boost."

The sneer immediately returned to his face. "Are you suggesting I let you step on me?"

"Just do it! Don't you want to get back at them for tricking you?"

The thought _was_ tempting. "Oh all right." Draco braced himself against the wall and held his hands up. "Okay, go."

Using Draco's hands as a makeshift step, Harry climbed up and squeezed through the window, shoving aside all the snow in his way. He was free. It was cold, yes, but anything was better than being trapped. He surveyed the area. It looked like he was near the back of the school, opposite the side of the lake. It would be pretty harsh getting to the front entrance without his jacket or even his robe, but if he hurried enough, he might not freeze his fingers off.

Harry mumbled to himself, thinking out loud. "If we're on this side… then the gardens-"

"Potter!"

Harry brushed himself off. "Yeah, I'm still here. Hang on." Harry cleared the area of snow. He got back on his stomach and reached back in through the window. "Come on. I'll pull you up."

It never really occurred to Harry that he'd be holding Draco's hands until the head boy grabbed his own. He fought the blush and focused on the task. Hanging onto Harry, Draco half-walked, half-climbed up the wall. When he was high enough, he released them and squeezed through the window. Both boys stood, brushing themselves off.

"Ugh…" Draco frowned as the cold swept through him.

"Come on. Let's hurry." Harry led the way.

Wordlessly, Draco followed.

They trudged through the snow, the only sound being the crunch underneath their feet. Not long after, they came to a stone wall. Harry frowned. "I was afraid of that…"

"What?" The Slytherin looked around the boy and mirrored the expression. "That would mean that these are the gardens…" He looked around. "I'm sure there's a door…"

"Yeah, but it's back _that_ way. And we're already this far." Harry supplied. "It's not that high up. We can just jump it." He did just that. With a running start, Harry used the side of the castle as leap off point to hop up high enough to grab with top of the wall. With much skill and expertise, he hopped over to the other side.

Draco copied Harry's actions, but dropping down to the other side proved painful as the blonde slipped and fell on his backside.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, holding out his hand to help the boy up.

Draco was massaging the abused area. "Brilliant. Just brilliant." He smacked away the hand and picked himself up. "I'm fine." He barked.

Harry sighed in defeat and began walking again.

"Besides," Draco continued as he followed the brunette. "Not everyone has the finesse of Harry Potter."

Harry just rolled his eyes and kept moving.

"Is that why you don't want to be my friend anymore? Because you don't need me?" Draco spat out, bitterly. "As Haley, you were entering a den of snakes. Thought it best to befriend one. But now that you're back in familiar territory, you can just discard me and wipe you hands of me? Is that it?"

Harry turned around, exasperated. "What are you on about?"

"Look, I know okay? I know that you were Haley. You can stop pretending."

"Well, surprise, surprise. I _knew_ that _you_ knew."

"Wait, you knew and yet you still chose to leave me? Was I just some tool to use at your disposal? A friendship was convenient for you at the time, but completely unnecessary now, right? Is that why you don't want me around anymore?"

"No, Malfoy. The only reason why I can't be your friend now is because, if you haven't noticed, I'm no longer Haley!" He threw his hands up in the air as if it were so simple. Finally _looking_ at Draco, Harry felt loneliness and betrayal engulf him. He broke the eye contact to hide the tears that had surfaced. "Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore. What happened, happened. Let's just move on." With that, Harry continued walking.

At first, he didn't hear Draco following, but then braced himself when he heard the crunching of the snow quickly approaching.

"So that's it then?" Draco said, trying to catch Harry's gaze. "You're going to pretend that nothing happened between us?"

"_You're_ the one pretending, Malfoy," Harry spat, still refusing to look at the other boy.

"What?"

Harry abruptly stopped and glared at Draco. "You're the one that's so bothered about me being Harry. Was it not you who said 'I want my friend back! He should just transform back so I can be with her again!'"

Draco blinked. "You heard that?"

"Yes! And I'm sorry, Draco, but I can't live my life as Haley just to be your friend." Harry walked away again, but Draco quickly followed.

"I never asked that of you!"

"Yes you did! 'Come back to me! Just come back to me!' The whole time you just wanted _Haley_, but I'm sorry." He stopped, throwing his hands in the air. "I can't be her for you. I'm _Harry_. I like being _me_ and if you can't handle that then there's nothing I can or want to do about it." He shook his head, dejectedly.

"You idiot!" Draco scooped up some snow and threw it firmly at Harry.

"Hey!"

"While you were clearly _eavesdropping, _did you happen to listen to that _whole_ conversation?"

"No. But I heard _enough_."

"No! No you didn't! _Clearly_ you didn't." Fed up, Draco closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms firmly around Harry's waist.

"Malfoy, what are you-"

"It's _Draco_, you fool, and it's cold. Keep me warm."

"Draco…" Harry breathed, but his arms remained at his side.

"Harry… I asked you to come back to me, not as Haley, but as my friend. I was asking for my friend back. I was trying to let you know that even though you're going back to being Harry, it was okay for us to remain friends."

Harry frowned. He shoved the other boy away. "Well why didn't you just say that?!"

"Because! I wasn't supposed to know, was I? You kept pretending to be someone else, so I just went along with it! I thought you'd realize I was talking to _you_ the whole time, not who you were on the outside!"

Harry scooped up some snow and threw is at the other boy. "Dammit Draco! How the hell am I supposed to know what's going on in your head? I thought you hated me!"

Draco frowned, but moved forward and recaptured Harry in his arms. "I could never hate you. You're my best friend."

And again, Harry pulled away. "But before! Before all that- before I was Haley. You hated me. And now that I'm back-"

And again, Draco took him back in his arms, resting his forehead against Harry's. "Before you were Haley, I didn't hate you. And now that you're back, I still _don't_ hate you. I might've been jealous of you, but I never really _hated_ you."

"But you said it yourself. We're supposed to be enemies. I thought you didn't want to be my friend as Harry because of that… You hated me…"

Draco exhaled and pulled away from the other boy. "Harry, will you listen? I _don't _hate you. That whole thing about us being enemies is what everyone _else_ thinks, not me. And sure, it didn't help that I terrorized you a few times, but I never did it out of hate. Why? Did _you_ hate _me_?"

Harry thought about it. "I suppose… there were a few moments… but I never fully…" He sighed, knowing Draco understood. "So… are we okay? Can we be friends again?"

Draco scoffed. "Are you mad? I hate you." Though he said this, a smirk played upon his lips.

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Come on. Let's go. It's freezing out here." He led the way back to the front of the school.

"So what now?" Draco asked as he walked alongside his friend.

"What do you mean 'what now'?"

"I mean, are you going to stop avoiding me now? Like that whole stunt earlier today. You just took off when I was clearly trying to talk to you. What was that about anyway?"

"I don't know… I guess I just panicked…"

"Over what? It's not like I was going to jinx you or anything."

"I spent the last few days thinking you hated me and at that moment I just wanted to forget you. And then suddenly you were there. Maybe part of me thought you were going to force me to change back."

Draco scoffed. "Even if that were my intention, I'm not so desperate for a friend that I would do that to you, Potter. I just wanted to talk to you. When you said what you did in potions, I thought you didn't want me around anymore. I thought you realized how much you really hated me and decided to move on without me."

"But I didn't hate you. You should've known that after all we went through."

"I could say the same to you."

He didn't respond, letting everything settle in his heart. Harry looked over at Draco and smiled. Draco smiled in return. "That's nice." Harry thought out loud.

The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "What is?"

"Your smile. For a while now, I didn't think I would ever get to see it again." Draco's smile was slowly turning into a mischievous grin and Harry could practically see the tease forming on the boy's lips. But before he could get it out, Harry quickly turned on his heel and walked away. "I still think you're an arrogant prat."

Anything Draco was about to say quickly flew out the window. Instead, he scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I'm supposed to believe that after you confessed your undying love for me?"

Harry frowned. "I didn't say _that. _Besides, I told you. I was mental."

"And then, you kissed me."

Harry sputtered. "Well- Then- _you_ kissed _me_!"

"Did you like it?"

Harry almost tripped in surprise at the question, but Draco was there to stabilize him. "W-what?!"

Draco smiled, slyly. "Potter, you're blushing."

Harry smacked Draco's hands away and continued walking. "It's cold out here."

"Mm-hm." The blonde smirked.

"It was all female hormones. But I'm back now so I know better. Loving you was a temporary thing." He lied.

Draco didn't buy it. He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, Blaise told me how _miserable_ you were without me so I-"

"I was not _miserable_."

"So I," Draco continued, choosing to ignore the lie, "wanted to know for myself how you _really _felt. And then when I saw you, you just bolted."

Harry had to chuckle. "I can't believe you fell for the 'look who's behind you' trick."

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm not fond of the idea of getting another detention. Housework is beneath me."

Again, Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "I guess… now that you're okay with me being me, I guess there's no need to run from you anymore."

"Good," Draco nodded, content.

"So… how did you figure it out?"

"What? That you were really Harry?"

"Yeah."

"It wasn't that hard. Haley seemed very familiar to me, especially in the beginning when you were so cruel," Draco mocked despair, only to earn a playful shove from his friend. "It wasn't until that day that I saw you kissing Blaise that I really figured it out."

"What? That's odd. Why would that make you put two and two together?"

"Let's just say some feelings came up that have only ever been sparked by you before."

"Really? Like what?"

"_Some_._ Feelings_."

Harry rolled his eyes. He knew he wasn't going to get much more than that. "Okay. So you say you don't hate me, but then what about this darker side of you that people keep telling me about. Like when you found out that I was coming back for the Quidditch match, you were less than favorable company then."

Draco inwardly growled. "What are they doing talking to you about all this? Darker side? Honestly…" He scoffed. He glanced at Harry who was still waiting for an answer. "That was nothing. I realized that if you were coming back, that meant whatever spell or potion you were under was nearing its end. You were going to leave me to go back to being Potter and I didn't know how that would turn out."

"Okay, but they said that even before all this happened, whenever I was around as Harry, you were different."

This time Draco frowned. "I'll kill them…"

Although this slightly amused him, it wasn't the answer Harry was looking for. Draco knew this.

"They're… exaggerating. You're Harry Potter. You rejected my offer of friendship when we were pathetic little first years and things were never light between us since then. Of course I was darker when you were around. I never forgave you for that."

"Really? You're still bitter about that?"

"It was quite traumatizing. No one says 'no' to a Malfoy."

"Well I'm sorry I hurt you, but you have to admit, you were acting like a brat when that happened."

This time, Draco didn't respond, although a sneer did flash across his face.

Harry smiled to himself. "I'm glad I got this second chance though. Now I know that you're not a _complete_ arse."

"Ha. Ha," Draco replied, dryly. "Says the boy who over this past week has been miserable without me."

"I _wasn't _miserable."

"Please. When I saw you in the hall earlier, your eyes were sunken as if you hadn't slept from all the crying you've been doing."

Harry frowned. "Well if that's the case, then you must've caught a glimpse of yourself before you looked at me. _Your_ eyes are the sunken ones."

"Just admit it, Potter. You missed me."

The Gryffindor furrowed his eyebrows and was silent for a moment. "…So what if I did? I told you, you were my best friend. Changing back meant leaving my best friend, so yes, I missed you. Ugh…" He rolled his eyes. "If you had just talked to me, we wouldn't have had to go through all of this. I wouldn't have had to miss you."

"Look who's talking? If you had told me that you were actually Harry from the beginning, maybe you would have realized that I was becoming friends with _you_, and not who you were on the outside."

"Oh please. If I had told you that I was really Harry from the beginning, you would have mocked me endlessly."

"…Okay. There's a very good possibility of that too."

"Whatever. That was that. We're good now. Right?"

"Right."

"Good."

"Besides. We need to come up with a way to get back at them. They _clearly_ set this up."

"But… I guess that was a good thing. Otherwise, we never would've settled things."

"Well, yes, but I still don't appreciate the way they went about it."

"But if some good came out of it-"

"Oh, you Gryffindors and your high and mighty-"

"Better than a Slytherin and their vindictive attitudes."

"You're honestly willing to let them off for having locked us in that room together?"

"Well look where it got us! If they hadn't locked us up, we wouldn't have worked through all of this."

"And my hands would still have feeling in them."

"What?" Harry whipped around and looked at Draco who had wrapped his arms around himself to shield him from the cold. He took hold of the boy's wrists and looked at the stark white hands. "Geez…" He covered them in his own hands and blew on all four to warm them up.

He looked up at Draco whose had turned his head to the side. His eyes were staring at the ground as a light flush came over his cheeks. Harry smirked. "Well that's why your hands are so cold. All your blood has gone to your cheeks."

Draco instantly glared at the other boy, snatching his hands away. "I seem to remember your cheeks were the same shade when _you_ kissed me."

"Female. _Hormones_." Harry said through gritted teeth. He began walking towards the entrance of the school again. "Don't worry. That won't happen again now that I'm back to being me."

"Oh really?" Draco said, following the brunette. "No more cuddling for Draco and Harry?"

"No." He refused to turn around and show the blush on his cheeks.

"How unfortunate. You're a comfy pillow."

"Well, now that I'm back to being a boy, you'll have to find yourself a new plaything."

"Is that what you think? You really _do_ think of me as some womanizer, don't you?"

"Because you are."

"I am nothing of the sort."

The two had finally reached the front entrance of the school. They were both grateful for the warmth that engulfed them when they opened the doors.

"I mean," Draco continued. "It'd be quite easy for me to become one, considering my staggering good looks and irresistible charm, but then there's the whole morning after scenario and I'd rather not deal with such trifles."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go get our wands back."

"I'm serious," Draco said, following Harry towards the potions classroom. "I'm no womanizer."

"Yes, yes. I'm all too aware of that. Your heart is set on your one special somebody. We've already been through this."

"Yes, but I still don't think you understa-"

"I _do_. I get it. I know that even after you told me, I was still hanging all over you as Haley, but that won't happen anymore. Don't worry. I'm back to being me. You're a boy. I'm a boy. All that hugging and stuff doesn't make sense anymore. You don't have to worry about that. Plus, I told you. Hormones made me do it."

"Harry-"

"Uh-oh."

The two boys turned at the intruding voice. Standing behind them was Pansy carrying an armload of snacks. Suddenly, she squeezed past the pair and ran down the hall where the others were waiting.

"Hey!" Draco called. He was about to chase after her, but then looked to Harry. "Wait here."

"What? Why?" Harry frowned.

"Just, wait here. I'll get your wand for you, but just stay put." Without waiting for an answer, Draco jogged down the rest of the way to where the others were.

Pansy had clearly warned them of his pending arrival as they were all standing from where they were seated a few moments before. He stomped the rest of the way to the group, wearing a sneer that did anything but put them at ease.

Pansy chuckled awkwardly once he was standing next to them. She shifted the snacks that were still in her arms. "Draco… How did you-"

"Wand. Now." He ordered, holding out his hand to the girl.

"But you're supposed to be in _there_ with Harry," Blaise frowned.

"Obviously, we escaped," the Head boy said.

"But how?" Hermione asked. "We were here the whole time…"

"The window." Draco supplied.

"See! I knew we should've picked the Astronomy tower!" Ron shook his head.

Draco was growing annoyed. "_Wand_," he growled. Pansy quickly handed him the instrument. "And Harry's too," he looked to Hermione.

"But where-" she stammered.

"Give it _here_." He held out his hand for the wand.

She hesitated a moment more before doing as she was told.

Draco placed the wands in his pocket and sighed. "All right. I'm only going to say this once so listen up." He looked each of them in the eye, making sure that he had their attention. He cleared his throat. "Thank you," he said with a little nod. "If it weren't for that little stunt, Harry and I… well let's just say your little plan worked." His expression suddenly grew dark. "But if you try to pull something like that again, I _will_ curse each one of you so you won't be able to sit the proper way for weeks, got it?"

They all nodded, faces slightly pale.

"Good," Draco smirked. He turned on his heel, but stopped at turned back. He snatched a small box from Pansy's arms and peeked inside. Whatever was in it seemed to satisfy him as he spun back around and left them to go join Harry down the hall.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related materials belong to J.K. Rowling, if that hasn't been made clear by now…

I was seriously two seconds away from naming this Truth and Reconciliation (HALO :3), but no. It would be too random. Haha. And it's kind of an awkward place to cut this, but the chapter was getting way too long, longer than I intended. In fact, I actually wanted this to be the last chapter, but there's just a lot of stuff to smooth out. I got most of them, but there are still a few things up in the air and it will get resolved soon (like in the next chapter). Thanks for sticking with me! You're all oh so very awesome.

P.S. I thought you should know that I wasn't going to post anything until I finished the story. But you've all been so patient and you deserve something, yeah? I'll try my best to get the next one out sooner and not months later. Heh. Sounds good, yeah? Yes.


	36. The Exchange

The Exchange

* * *

"Well?" Harry asked, expectantly. "I didn't hear any screams of pain. I thought the vindictive Slytherin would surely partake on some form of revenge."

"Maybe your Gryffindor hoity-toity attitude rubbed a bit off on me. I let them off with a warning."

Harry simply scoffed, but smiled. He glanced at the box in Draco's hand. "What's that?"

"Just a little snack I took from Pansy."

"So what now?"

"Now we go somewhere to talk. Preferably somewhere warm."

"Why not stay with the oth-"

"I want you to myself, Potter. Don't you get that?"

The blush instantly crept up his cheeks. "You don't have to put it _that_ way."

Draco shook his head in exasperation. "Which is exactly why we still need to talk…"

"What?" Harry looked confused. "I don't get it…"

"Potter, you are delightfully, yet _painfully _oblivious. Come on then." This time, Draco took the lead and headed towards the Meteorology classroom.

"What do we still need to talk about that they can't hear?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Trust me. There's plenty."

"Like what? What is it that I'm so '_painfully _oblivious' to?" The Gryffindor exaggerated.

Draco merely sighed and hastened his pace.

"Come on, Draco. Tell me."

He arched an eyebrow, but still kept his pace. "Really?"

"Yes. Out with it."

And with that, Draco spun around, and with his free hand, caressed Harry's cheek. He pulled the other boy towards him and planted a kiss upon his lips, soft at first, but more aggressive the longer it lasted.

Harry was stunned. He forgot all motor functions as Draco kissed him in the middle of the corridor. Eyes that were wide with surprise fluttered to a close as the Gryffindor gave into the kiss.

After a few moments, Draco pulled away from the still Harry. The Slytherin looked down at the brunette, who seemed to be having trouble regaining a grip on reality.

"Ummm…" Harry managed to utter, words lost to him.

Draco shook his head and simply continued on his way to the empty classroom with Harry in tow. Once they were safely inside, Harry found his voice again. "Draco… what was that?"

The blonde snorted as he place the box upon the nearest desk. "Potter, don't you know what a kiss is?"

Harry blushed. "I know what a kiss is," he hissed. "But why did you kiss _me_?"

Draco shook his head in dismay. "You really _are_ oblivious, aren't you?" At the frown he was receiving, the Slytherin continued. "Harry, I kissed you because I'm in love with you."

Harry studied the boy standing before him. 'Wait… did he just say…' He crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, ha ha Malfoy. _Very_ funny."

"I'm serious."

"_You're_ in love with _me_?" Harry shook his head in disbelief. "But what about that mystery girl you're madly in love with?"

"Harry, will you listen to me? There is no mystery _girl. _However, there is a mystery _boy._ And that boy is _you_. I'm in love with _you._"

Again, Harry shook his head. "But that doesn't make sense…"

Draco took Harry's hands in his and rest his forehead upon the brunette's. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Harry Potter, I've been in love with you for a long time now. I don't know exactly when, or exactly how, but I know that no one makes me feel the way you do. You make me feel things no one ever has," he chuckled, "in good ways _and_ bad. I love you, Harry. It was you. It was always you."

Harry was speechless. He let the words sink in, and the warmth of Draco's proximity envelope him. 'Draco is in love with me…' Harry's lips grew from a small smile into a grin of pure bliss.

But it quickly turned into a frown as Harry pushed Draco away and took a few steps away before turning to look at the boy. "If you were in love with me all this time, and you _knew_ that I was Haley, then why didn't you say anything?"

Draco exhaled. He fumbled for the right words. "Well… it's just that… when you said it… when you, as Haley, said that you loved me, it was _Haley_ saying it, not… Harry."

The Gryffindor tried to make sense of the words. "But we're the same person!"

"I know! It's just, in the moment, those words that I wanted to hear from _Harry_ came out from this girl in his place. And in the moment, all I could think of was wanting to hear _your _voice and see the words come from _your_ lips, not Haley's." Draco ran his hand through his hair. "And then, when I finally came to my senses, you were already pulling away from me. And I never got the chance to explain afterward."

"That's not true," Harry frowned. "When we were in detention together-"

"Again, you wouldn't let me explain."

"But you were saying that you couldn't love me because you were in love with someone else."

"I was saying that I couldn't love Haley because I was already in love with Harry."

Harry shook his head vigorously. "But we're the same!"

"But then you said yourself that you would rather be loved for the person you _truly_ are, not for the person you were on the outside. So I wanted to show you that I loved _Harry_, not just Haley. But when you changed back, you avoided me and then told me that you were happy without me."

"That's not what I meant. I thought you wanted me to change back, but that's not what _I_ wanted. I like being _me_, even if it meant not having you in my life. I mean, I love you Draco, but I couldn't give up who I was just to be with you."

Draco was quiet. He had a small smile on his lips.

Harry was confused. "What?"

"Say it again."

The Gryffindor cocked his head, still not understanding. "What?"

"That part where you said you love me."

"I didn…" Harry trailed off.

Draco was grinning. "You did." He took a step toward the brunette. "Say it again."

Harry just folded him arms over his chest again. "I don't know… the last time I said it, it didn't turn out so well."

Draco took another step forward. "I can almost _guarantee_ that this time will be different."

The Gryffindor cocked an eyebrow. "_Almost_?"

He shrugged. "There's no accounting for a random freak accident that might occur." He smirked.

"Forget it then," Harry said, dismissing Draco with a wave of his hand.

At this, Draco closed the gap between them and held Harry in his arms once more. He pressed his forehead upon the other boy's, smiling. "Come on, Harry…"

Feeling Draco all around him left Harry with a heady feeling. He tried to process everything that had been said. 'He loves me. Draco loves _me._' The fact brought warm and fuzzy feelings out onto the surface. Harry looked deeply into Draco's grey gaze, finding adoration there. With a smirk, he sighed in mock exasperation, slowly wrapping his arms around Draco's neck. "Fine… I _almost_ love you, Draco." He teased.

"What?" The blonde frowned, pulling away just enough to look at Harry.

Harry smiled. "Well, there's no accounting for a random freak accident and blah blah blah." In response to Draco rolling his eyes, Harry continued. "There's also the matter of these rather rude letters I've received-"

Draco responded by emitting a little growl before pulling Harry back into his embrace. He nuzzled the crook of the boy's neck. "You're terrible to me…"

Again, Harry smiled. He let himself feel the comfort of Draco's embrace. He sighed in content. "So… you're in love with me… really?"

"Yes. I am in love with you, Harry Potter."

His heart raced. He never knew how much he could love the sound of his own name, especially followed after those words.

"And this is for real? Because if this is just some cruel trick-"

Draco frowned. "I would never. I love you, Harry," he repeated firmly, trying to make it stick. "My feelings for you are _real_. As real as you or I."

Harry still looked a little unsure. So Draco continued, a smile playing on his lips.

"I love you even when you're shoveling food into your mouth. I love you when you're hurtling insults in my face. I love you even when your hair is in most occasions ridiculously unruly."

Harry was aghast. He pulled back, a frown on his face. "You should've stopped while you were ahead, you jerk."

But Draco just smiled, resting his forehead atop the other's. "I love you when smile and laugh and I love you even more when you're smiling and laughing with me. I love _you_, not the girl you were transformed into, not the icon people have made you out to be. I love _you_, and everything about you. And although those letters may have been rude by your standards, I was merely pointing out more things about you that I love."

Harry scoffed. "You love that I have an ugly face, that I'm fatter than Millicent, and that I snore so loud that you can hear it through stone walls?"

"I may have embellished here and there."

"Draco…"

"So do you believe me now?"

"Hmm… almost."

"Almost?" Draco frowned incredulously.

"Yes, almost. You're very nearly there," he teased. This time it was Harry with the playful smile. He tilted his head forward and brought their lips together again. This time it was brief and gentle, but it still managed to take both of their breaths away.

Even in the short contact, Harry could feel the truth in Draco's kiss. He could feel how much Draco cared, how much Draco _loved_. It warmed Harry all over. With a blissful sigh, he conceded. "All right. _Now_, I believe you."

Draco gave Harry another brief kiss, reigniting the feelings within. "Good."

The two were content to finally just be in each other's arms. After everything they had been through, the ups and the downs, the numerous misunderstandings, they were finally content just being with one another. They let warmth flood them, especially after their trek through the wintery grounds. Warmth emanated from their close proximity and from the content they felt in their hearts. Finally, nothing stood between them. Everything was clear. Harry knew that he loved Draco and knew that he was loved in return. Nothing could ruin this moment of peace between the two young lovebirds.

…Except the growling stomach of one Boy Who Lived.

Draco pulled back, looking amused.

"Don't say anything," Harry frowned. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Which is why it's a good thing that I snatched this from Pansy." Draco walked over to the box that had been momentarily forgotten.

Harry reached out for the box, making grabby motions with his hands.

"Ah, ah," Draco frowned, twisting so that the box was out of the Gryffindor's reach. He popped open the lid, dipping his finger into the mystery confection before bringing his finger to his lips rather suggestively.

Harry could only follow with his eyes, everything else- including breathing- seemingly unimportant. He watched as Draco slowly dragged his tongue over his lips, licking them clean.

"Mmm," Draco practically purred. "French silk." He smirked. "Unfortunately, this time we don't seem to have any utensils."

"Shame…" Harry breathed, rather than spoke. He again could only stare as Draco brought more of the filling to his lips, sucking lightly on the finger he was using to feed himself. He withdrew his finger with a resonating _pop._

Dipping his finger in for some more, he held it out to Harry, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Want some?"

Harry mentally scoffed at Draco's blatant display. 'Okay. Two can play at this game.' He took a tiny step forward, taking Draco's offered hand in between his own. Slowly, he wrapped his lips around the digit, letting the smooth chocolate filling melt in his warm mouth. Tentatively, he licked the tip all around, letting a soft moan escape his lips.

It seemed that Draco had also forgotten how to breathe. His mouth had fallen slightly open, eyes half-lidded as he watched the tip of his finger disappear into Harry's mouth. Harry slowly withdrew the finger from his mouth, teeth grazing lightly against it. He gave the tip a tiny kiss before looking deeply into Draco's dazed eyes. Harry sighed in content, his breath falling against Draco's moist finger. "More please."

And as if those were the magic words, Draco snapped out of his daze, dropping the box in his hand in favor of capturing Harry's head to pull him into a kiss. Both boys were breathing hard at this point, lips rough against one another, passionate and desperate for more. And when Harry elicited yet another vulgar moan, Draco took the opportunity to insert his tongue into the other boy's mouth, encouraging him to do the same.

Draco moved them so that Harry was half leaning, half sitting on a nearby desk, moving his hands down to slender hips as Harry's own wove themselves into Draco's platinum locks. Harry pulled on them slightly, causing Draco to moan at the sensation. The sound was probably the best thing Harry had ever heard and he was now determined to hear it again.

Slim fingers had trailed from Harry's hips, up his sides, and back down to slip into the waistband of his jeans. Draco teased the skin there, rubbing small circles against Harry's hipbone, causing the brunette's head to lose all focus. Wanting to feel more, Harry untangled his hands from Draco's hair and moved them down to the boy's waist. He slipped them up the Slytherin's sweater, caressing the skin he found there. Draco was warm under his touch, muscles firm. Still wanting more, Harry tugged at the sweater. Draco, the clever boy that he is, understood the other boy's needs and quickly yanked his sweater off, taking the shirt he had underneath with it before returning his lips to Harry's. Satisfied, Harry let his hands roam over the freed skin.

Harry broke the kiss, needing air, making Draco turn his attentions to the Gryffindor's bared neck. He kissed the tender skin, nipped it, bit it, licked it. He sucked on it, making sure to leave a mark so that people would know that Harry was his.

"Mmm, Draco…"

The groan did crazy things to Draco's mind. He pulled Harry even closer, slipping his hands down even further into the boy's boxers to grab handfuls of Harry's firm backside. He pulled Harry to him so that their groins were together, rutting against him in slow, desperate motions.

Harry was losing himself. He could feel Draco's arousal through his trousers rubbing against Harry's own trapped in his jeans. Suddenly, Draco lifted Harry up off the desk before easing the both of them down onto the floor of the empty classroom. Wanting to even out the playing field, Draco stripped Harry of his sweater and undershirt, pressing his bare chest against the warmth of Harry's own. He returned his lips to Harry's, tongue instantly moving to stroke its tentative mate. He moved between Harry's legs, grabbing the boy's thigh so that his leg would wrap around him. Then, caressing his hip, his side, his arm, then his hand, Draco held Harry's hand in his own, squeezing it tight. He paused his grinding, feeling something there.

He turned unfocused eyes to their joined hands. Harry, feeling bold and unsatisfied with the loss of Draco's lips, moved to make his own claim on Draco's neck. The blonde was ready to just forget what had caught his attention with the way Harry's lips were moving over him, but he just couldn't let it go.

"Harry…" Draco tried. "What is-" His words were lost to a deep, guttural groan as Harry arched up to rub his groin against the blonde's. Trying to regain at least a little bit of sanity, the Head Boy flipped their hands over to look at Harry's hand tightly encased in his own. Harry was too busy licking the hollow of Draco's throat to pay attention to what he was doing. That is until he heard the boy chuckle.

Harry opened his eyes, pausing his ministrations to look at the boy above him. Draco was still looking at their joined hands. There was a smile on his face, soft chuckles slowly turning to full laughter. Harry was perplexed. "Draco? What?"

Mirthful grey eyes turned to curious green. He bent down to kiss Harry full on the lips. When he pulled away, he placed his forehead against the other boy's, a smile stretched across red lips. "Yes, Harry, I'll marry you."

Harry froze, eyes wide in surprise. "What?"

Draco chuckled again before sitting up, pulling Harry up with him through their joined hands. He kissed the ring that he found there, opening his eyes to stare directly into Harry's.

"You're wearing the ring," Draco stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah…?"

"I mean, actually _wearing_ the ring. Not around your neck, but on your finger."

Harry glanced at their still joined hands as Draco caressed it against his cheek. "So?"

"So?" Draco's eyes lit with amusement. "Harry, this is my _family_ ring. To wear it on your _finger_ is a sign of engagement."

Again, Harry's eyes widen in surprise. "Wha-"

Draco took the opportunity to take Harry's face between his hands and kiss him again, long, full, and hard. When he pulled away, he sighed contently, moving his arms to wrap around Harry's naked torso. "I love you, Harry." He sighed into his ear, rubbing his head against the brunette's.

The words warmed his insides as Harry wrapped his arms around Draco as well. "I love you too, Draco."

"You love me enough to marry me?" Draco teased.

"I didn't know _that's_ what it meant," Harry frowned. He cared for Draco dearly, but marriage after everything they just went through was _very_ sudden.

"Didn't you realize it when you put the ring on your _ring_ finger?"

"Well it was the only finger it fit on!"

"It's _supposed_ to only fit there," Draco smirked, taking Harry's hand between his again and kissing the ring. "So, Harry," the blonde smiled playfully, easing Harry back down to the floor again. He kissed him softly on his collarbone, before crawling back up to kiss him swiftly on the lips. "When's our wedding?"

Harry frowned. Marrying Draco? _Marrying_ Draco? Marrying him certainly wasn't his intention when he slipped the ring on his finger. He just didn't want people to connect him with Haley should they see the ring around his neck. Quite frankly, he felt he was too young to get married. There was still so much for him to do and experience before even _thinking _about marriage. And now, he was unwittingly engaged to Draco?

'But… it's not like I would _never_ want to,' Harry thought, his mind still a bit fuzzy with the way Draco was suckling on his neck. 'I want to be with him for as long as he'll have me. I want to stay by Draco's side.'

"I don't know," Harry finally murmured, a faint blush creeping up on his cheeks. "I guess we should wait for school to be over…"

Draco paused nipping at Harry's neck to look down at the boy. "What?"

Harry blushed even more, looking away in embarrassment. "I mean, we'll be busy with school, so once we're done, I guess… I guess would be a… a good… time."

Draco lit up, a bright smile donning his face. "Harry, I was teasing you."

Green eyes darted to grey. Harry could only gape.

"I mean, it _is_ what the ring symbolizes, but it's not like putting it on instantly means we _have_ to get married." He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, holding him tightly. "So you really _do_ want to marry me?"

"No! I mean- yes- I mean… but not-"

Draco chuckled, pulling back a bit to look at the boy he loved. "You sure are having a hard time speaking…"

"That's cause you're doing things… and I can't even… and your hands…"

The blonde smiled as Harry hid his face behind his hands. "You love me enough to marry me right out of school?"

Harry didn't respond, but the face behind the hands blushed even harder. "I- I didn't know that _that's_ what it meant…" he reiterated. "Should I… take it off then?" He asked tentatively, still hiding.

Draco grabbed Harry's wrists and pinned them down to look the boy squarely in the eye. "Never. I never want you to take it off, Harry. You're _mine_."

The brunette could only nod, caught up in the intensity of Draco's claim.

"I do want to marry you some day, Harry," Draco continued, sitting up and rubbing his hands up and down Harry's chest. "It doesn't have to be right out of school. We're still young. But I _will_ marry you. Because I'm never going to let you go."

Harry looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, heart pounding in his chest. "…Promise?"

Draco simply sealed the deal with a kiss.

Harry's hands returned to grasp at platinum locks as Draco started grinding against him once more. The Slytherin's hands travelled up and down the expanse of lightly tanned skin before creeping down to the front of Harry's jeans. He undid the button and slowly dragged down the zipper, not once removing his lips from the boy underneath him.

Things were getting hotter, heavier. Harry felt hands push down his jeans and boxers some, just a little below the hipbone to massage the skin there and tease the skin just above his pubic hair. Harry groaned at the touch.

It slightly registered through Harry's lust-filled mind where things were likely to progress. And on the surface, he might've panicked a bit at how fast things had moved. Not more than an hour ago was he running from the very boy lying on top of him. But Harry wanted this. He hadn't felt this way for anyone. He had fallen for Draco, hard. And he could only imagine how the Slytherin felt in return.

"Harry…" Draco groaned. "I want you… Do… do you…?" The normally confident boy suddenly sounded afraid, not wanting to push his love farther than he was willing to go. He had longed to be with Harry for years now, but he had no intentions of screwing this up by thinking with his dick instead of his head.

Harry tried to calm his breathing, but with the way Draco still moved against him, it was no easy task. He wanted more of him. He wanted to feel everything Draco was willing to give. So Harry nodded. "I… I want you too, Draco…"

The Slytherin paused, looking deep into Harry's eyes, trying to figure out if he had really said it or if it was his mind playing a cruel trick. "Are you sure?"

Again, Harry slowly nodded. "I want you too," he reaffirmed.

This was all the permission Draco needed to strip Harry of the rest of his clothes. He yanked off the boy's shoes and socks before tugging at his jeans, taking his boxers down with them. He took a brief second to kiss Harry's bent knee and he moved to sit between the boy's thighs. Draco ran his hands up and down Harry's hips, before pausing and taking a moment to sit back and stare lovingly at the boy below him.

Harry shifted under Draco's intense gaze. He felt incredibly shy and exposed with the way his erection strained in its aroused state. It was as if the Slytherin was studying him, memorizing every curve, every dip, _everything_. He couldn't take it anymore. Harry covered his face with his arms, making a little whining noise while wondering how he could possibly be so hard when he felt all his blood was flooding to his cheeks.

Draco frowned, immediately moving to push aside Harry's arms. He pinned them down again, looking directly into the Gryffindor's eyes. "Don't ever hide from me Harry," Draco said softly, but firmly. "You're perfect." Harry gave a little scoff, but Draco ignored it. "I love everything about you." He moved one hand to brush aside Harry's bangs, removing the boy's frames as well and setting them aside gently. Draco bent down and tenderly kissed the infamous scar, sending shivers down the brunette's spine.

Draco pulled back, sitting up again while running his hands up and down Harry's bare thighs. "There's just one thing missing," Draco said, matter-of-factly, a smirk on his face.

Registering what he had said through the cloudiness of his muddled brain, Harry looked at Draco curiously. "What?" he breathed.

The Slytherin's smirk deepened before he reached into his pocket, holding out a ruby pendant dangling from a recently mended gold chain.

"My necklace!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up. "It's fixed," he said with a smile.

Draco nodded. "I've been carrying it with me for some time now. Holding it in my hand made me feel a little bit better sometimes. Like maybe not all hope was lost." He caressed Harry's cheek before kissing it softly. "So Harry," Draco said, unclipping the clasp and wrapping the chain around Harry's neck to refasten it. "You still promise to cherish me always?"

Harry warmed at the words. He took Draco's hand in his, finding the ring he had purchased for him long ago and kissed the emerald over and over again. He wrapped his arms around Draco, pulling him into a tight embrace, resting his ear over Draco's rapidly beating heart.

"_Always_," Harry promised, feeling Draco melt against him just hearing that one word. "Will you protect me always?"

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry once more, kissing him on the top of the head. "_Always_," he chuckled. "Though I doubt you need much help in that department."

Harry just smiled, nuzzling the Slytherin's warm skin. He sighed. "I'll _always_ need you, Draco."

"Good."

Harry looked up at Draco, pulling his face down for another kiss. His hands travelled downward to the top of Draco's trousers, feeling bold enough to undo the button and zipper. He heard Draco's breathing quicken, excitement taking over. Draco pushed up so that he was on his knees, giving Harry the ability to pull the trousers down lean hips. Once they were down his thighs, Harry tentatively touched the hem of Draco's briefs.

Draco chuckled at Harry's shyness, leaning forward so that his straining erection grazed against Harry's timid hands. He groaned at the soft contact, desperately wanting more. "Harry…"

Hearing the need in his voice, Harry took a deep breath before pulling down the briefs and exposing the hardened member resting there. It was swollen, the head already a deep pink and leaking pre-cum.

"Christ, Harry…" Draco moaned. "See what you do to me? You haven't even touched me and I already feel like I'm going to explode." Draco shimmied out of his trousers, kicking off his shoes and socks in the process. He smirked, returning to his position between Harry's legs. "I see I have the same effect on you as well."

And with that, Harry was seeing stars as Draco wrapped his hand around Harry's erection. He couldn't restrain the loud moan that escaped his lips from the contact. And when Draco started stroking him, well, Harry just about went insane.

"Harry, you should hear yourself," Draco breathed into his ear. "You're so _vulgar_." He licked the shell of Harry's ear, taking a little nip at it. "Should anyone happen to walk by, they'd know _exactly_ what you were doing…"

Harry couldn't come up with any smart comebacks. Quite frankly, he couldn't even figure out how Draco managed to form actual words, let alone coherent sentences. Harry made it his mission to do something about that.

Forget stars. Draco was seeing whole galaxies as Harry had bent over and gave an experimental swipe of his tongue over the tip of Draco's erection. If it hadn't been for the firm grip Harry had on the base of his cock, Draco surely would have came right then and there. He arched into Harry, wanting to feel his lips wrapped around him in all the right places.

Harry complied, taking Draco into his mouth, just the head at first. The Gryffindor briefly worried that he wasn't doing this right, considering his complete lack of experience, but he was quickly reassured in hearing the little moans of pleasure coming from the boy before him. He gently sucked on it, moving his tongue against the slit, the taste of Draco overloading his taste buds. Harry dared to venture further, moving forward to pull more of Draco into his mouth. And if Harry thought he liked what Draco sounded like when he tugged at his hair, well then he was downright obsessed with the sounds coming from him now. But Draco was large, much larger than Harry could fit, so he did his best and used both hands to stroke the rest of the length.

Draco had long since released his hold on Harry's cock, instead moving his hands to weave through raven locks. He was rutting now, staccato thrusts of his hips into Harry's warm and wet mouth. Harry did his best to keep up with him, flinching a bit when Draco went in a little too deep. Needing to restore oxygen to his lungs, Harry released Draco from his lips, and after hearing a groan of discontent, resumed licking the underside of the blonde's length much to the latter's satisfaction.

Harry had to chuckle, the vibration of it doing wonders to Draco. Harry paused, looking up into Draco's hooded eyes. "_Now _who's the vulgar one?"

The simple statement, mixed with the lust-filled rasp of Harry's voice and the warm breath brushing against his spit-slicked dick was enough to push Draco over the edge. He came, hard, shooting streams of cum onto Harry's swollen lips. Harry quickly returned his mouth over the head of Draco's arousal, swallowing down every bit the boy had to offer. The taste wasn't as bad Harry might've anticipated had he actually thought he'd be in a situation like this. It was a bit salty, creamy as it slid down his throat.

Draco had to shove Harry back a bit, quickly extracting his sensitive cock out of the warm mouth once all the sensations came to be too much. He was breathing hard, leaning his weight against Harry's shoulders.

Harry wiped his lips on the back of his hand. "Was… was that okay?"

Draco groaned. "Okay?" He ran one hand through Harry's hair, massaging his scalp every now and again. Once he felt a bit more control of himself, he sat back, pulling Harry to him. "That was _amazing_. God, Harry, your _tongue…_"

Harry couldn't stop the blush from overtaking his face. Draco brought his lips to Harry's red ones, tasting himself as his tongue swept across the other's. He returned his hand to Harry's neglected erection, stroking him firmly. The sensations forced Harry to break the kiss, dropping his head to Draco's chest as he panted hard.

More sinful mewls ripped out of Harry's throat the closer he came towards his own orgasm, reinvigorating Draco's formally spent erection.

"Just hearing you makes me hard," Draco commented, voice thick with lust.

Harry could only groan in response.

Draco eased Harry back down against the classroom floor. He moved lower, still keeping one hand on Harry's hardness, as the other explored the expanse of Harry's chest. Fingers grazed across a pert nipple, causing Harry to gasp a little. Draco did it again, this time circling the nub with his thumb before giving it a little pinch. Wanting more, he bent down, trapping the nipple in his mouth, brushing his tongue against it then giving it a little nip. He gave the other one some attention with his free hand as he licked little swirls over its companion. He switched off, giving the other the same treatment. Draco licked his way down Harry's now heaving chest, across well-defined abs to the boy's belly button. He kissed it before dipping his tongue in, eliciting a moan from Harry. He continued downward, nipping along Harry's happy trail until he reached his goal. Wasting no time, Draco took as much of Harry's length into his mouth as he could, sucking hard. He bobbed up and down, savoring the taste of Harry, feeling him in the back of his throat. He hummed, vibrations only adding to the stimulation.

Overwhelmed by _Draco_, Harry came. He arched up, forcing Draco to restrain him by his hips as Harry shot his load in the other boy's mouth. Draco sucked it down, savoring Harry's essence. Harry tugged at Draco's hair, wanting the boy to ease off his over-sensitized penis. Draco complied, deciding to travel even lower.

If he hadn't been trapped in an after-orgasm daze, Harry might've asked Draco what he was doing, but it wasn't exactly hard to figure out once Draco hiked Harry's legs up, parting them so he could reach what he was looking for. Draco spread Harry's cheeks, finding the pink, puckered hole. Draco didn't hold back. He pushed forward, tongue brushing against Harry's ass.

"Oh God! Draco!" Harry yelled at the foreign sensation, his arousal reawakening with vigor.

Draco wasn't deterred. He pressed on, licking his way around the hole. He pushed in and out, fucking Harry with the tip of his tongue, all the while enjoying the incoherent exclamations coming from Harry's lips. He pulled back some, rubbing the wet hole with his finger, pressing firmly against it. He brought his finger into his mouth to get it good and slick. Then he pressed again, this time watching as it slid into the warm body before him.

"Christ, Harry…" Draco practically purred. "It's like you're sucking me in."

Harry made a garbled noise, before he found words to string together. "How can you… _think_… at a time… like this?" He panted as the finger slowly moved in and out of him.

"Mmm… I'm just giving you the commentary," Draco supplied, matter-of-factly. "Your hole, Harry. It's so pink. And it's so tight. I can feel it clenching around my finger." He gave a little kiss to Harry's balls before continuing. "You're so hot inside, Harry. I can't wait to feel you myself. I'm going to fuck you so hard. I'm going to be so deep inside you, Harry, that you'll be screaming my name. Do you want that?"

"Y-yes, Draco," Harry murmured.

"I can't hear you," Draco teased, giving Harry's erection a tight squeeze.

"_Yes, Draco!_" he cried.

Draco simply chuckled, withdrawing his finger only to insert two this time. He stretched Harry out, scissoring his fingers inside the boy.

Harry shifted, a bit uncomfortable with this new feeling. It hurt a bit, but with the way Draco was massaging the tense area, Harry was slowly finding it tolerable. Draco withdrew again, this time returning with a third finger. Harry flinched, the extra digit proving to be more painful than the last.

Noticing this, Draco took hold of Harry's now semi-flaccid penis and began to lightly stroke it, trying to distract him from the pain with pleasure. His full arousal was reawakened in no time. Harry leaned into Draco's touch, wanting the blonde to grip him firmly like before.

"Not this time, Harry," Draco chastised. "I want to be in you the next time you come."

Harry couldn't explain how he did it, but Draco's voice just turned into pure sex. Hearing him say things like that was doing all sorts of things to Harry's hazy mind. He was breathing hard again, getting used to the third digit stretching him out. "Aren't-aren't you done?" He whimpered.

Draco chuckled, bending down to trail kisses along the inside of Harry's thigh. "Petulant child," he chastised playfully. "I'm much bigger than this."

And with that, Draco added a fourth finger, trying to stretch Harry as much as possible. Harry winced again in pain, wanting to pull away from the fingers inside him. This time Draco distracted him by dipping his mouth over the head of Harry's cock, swirling his tongue over the slit repeatedly.

Harry cried out at the sensation, a mix of pain and pleasure washing over him.

"Harry," Draco breathed, once he felt the boy was stretched enough. "I don't have any lube… I need you to suck me. Get me slick for you."

Although words seemed to fail him once more, Harry understood, sitting up and grabbing Draco's hips to brace him. He licked his lips before wrapping them once more around the hard cock. He licked it all over, trying to get it as wet as possible. But he was getting caught up in the task, enjoying the feel of Draco back in his mouth. He bobbed up and down, his arousal taking over.

"Mmm, Harry slow down," Draco said, and with much restraint, pulled back. "I want to come inside you."

And there was the voice of sex again, forcing Harry's heart into his throat. The Gryffindor could only nod in agreement, the idea of Draco being inside him equally terrifying and exhilarating. He laid back down as Draco pushed his legs further apart, spreading him as wide as he could without hurting the boy he loved. He rubbed his cock against Harry's hole, using his pre-cum as more lubricant. Slowly, he pushed forward.

"Ah!" Harry grimaced, trying to shuffle away. Draco kept a firm hold on him.

"Harry, relax," he bent down, trying to distract his love with kisses.

Harry took deep breaths, willing himself to stay calm. He wanted this. He wanted to feel Draco inside him.

Draco tried again, pushing against the tight hole. Once the head was in, Draco grabbed Harry's cock, giving it a firm stroke. He eased his way forward, giving Harry's erection a tight squeeze every now and again to distract from the pain.

"You're doing great, Harry," Draco cooed. "I'm already half-way in."

Harry gave a whine of desperation. "_Half?_" He felt full already, on the brink of exploding.

Draco gave another stroke before pushing on. Soon, Draco let out a breath. "God, Harry. Do you feel that? I'm all the way in, now."

And of course Harry felt it. It was uncomfortable. He was being stretched to the fullest capacity, leaving him to wonder how anyone could find this enjoyable. It was painful, and despite the care Draco took to stretch him out, Harry still felt that nothing could have prepared him for the full weight of Draco's cock inside him.

Draco kept from moving, allowing the warm body beneath him to adjust to his size, but feeling Harry's ass wiggling against the base of his crotch, knowing that he was completely _sheathed_ inside Harry was a testament to Draco's will. He refused to hurt the boy he loved. He wanted him to feel good.

The pain was finally beginning to dull as Harry adjusted to Draco's size. Once Harry's breathing had calmed down some, Draco began to move. He pulled out slowly before shoving back in a little quicker.

"Ah!" Harry exclaimed, the sound a mix of ache and satisfaction. While it still hurt, he could feel the pleasure in it building, finally finding the part to enjoy. He opened his eyes to look at the body above him.

Draco's eyes were closed as if deep in concentration. There was a light sheen of sweat covering the boy's flushed skin. Draco was lean, hard muscles contracting with each small thrust he gave. His hair was a mess what with all the tugging Harry had done to it, but somehow Harry thought it still managed to look good. Everything about Draco like this looked good.

Then Harry's mind completely went blank, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he cried out in pure bliss.

He heard Draco chuckle. "There it is."

Draco withdrew again, pushing in faster to hit the same spot. Harry grabbed onto Draco's wrists, needing something to ground him. Whatever it was Draco was doing, he was doing it right. Harry's breathing hitched as Draco picked up the pace. The pain he had once felt quickly subsided. All he felt was pure elation.

Harry moved to take his dick in his hands, but Draco smacked it away. "No, that's _mine_ now," Draco said with growl. "You will not touch it. I want you to come only from me." Harry moaned in frustration, but with the way Draco kept hitting that sweet spot over and over again, the brunette was sure that coming on Draco's thrusts alone was entirely possible.

He moved faster now, hips snapping hard, pounding into Harry's welcoming heat. Draco's words still echoing in his mind, mixed with the sensations he felt all over, was getting to Harry, making him keen out his ecstasy in each breath. He moved to cover his face with his arms again, trying to stifle the moans that were too loud in his ears.

"No, Harry," Draco rebuked again. "I want to hear you. Don't censor yourself." Harry blushed convinced that with the noise he was making, _everyone_ could hear him. But soon, that no longer mattered. Draco grabbed Harry's wandering hand in his to keep it from touching himself or covering his mouth. He held it tightly, feeling the ring once more. He placed his other hand over Harry's chest where the necklace rested over his beating heart. He drank in the sight of his lover spread out before him, all wanton, an endless stream of moans pouring from his mouth mixed with the occasional 'Draco' and '_yes_'. Draco loved it. He wanted to remember Harry like this forever.

With his free hand, Harry grasped for Draco, stroking his hand up and down his side before curling around his back. He clung to him, nails leaving trails in their wake. He began thrusting in time with Draco, bodies meeting with a loud smack each time. Both were having a hard time breathing, both coming deliciously close to the edge.

Draco's thrusts were becoming more and more erratic, grunting every time he pushed back in. "Harry…" he panted. "Harry, I'm close."

Harry whimpered. "M-me too." He pulled Draco down for a kiss, tongues instantly finding each other again. Harry was caught up in the feeling of Draco all around him. Feeling Draco's tongue rub against his own, his hand squeezing tightly around his, his palm flat against his chest occasionally stroking a pert nipple, and his entire length thrusting in and out of him sent Harry over the edge.

"Draco!" Harry cried, a strangled moan tearing through him. He shot his load between them, covering them both in his essence. His orgasm forced him to clench down, squeezing Draco hard.

After a few more thrusts, the sensation of Harry tightening around him was the final push Draco needed to reach his own climax. "Ah! Harry!" Draco moaned. He exploded within Harry, riding wave after wave of euphoria. He collapsed on top of the other boy, feeling utterly spent.

Their lips met again, labored breaths intermingling. Draco moved to kiss Harry's cheeks, his nose, his eyes. He kissed the scar again before returning to waiting lips.

"God, Harry," Draco breathed. He closed his eyes and nuzzled the crook of Harry's neck. "You don't know how long I've wanted this. Just this. Just being with you in my arms."

The words made Harry's heart aflutter, doing happy little flips. He smiled, arms wrapping around the blonde's neck as a pair of arms snaked around his waist, pulling him in close. They stayed like that, Draco's softening dick still inside Harry, waiting for their hearts to and their breathing to return to normal. Eventually, Draco slid off of Harry so that most of his weight wasn't pressed against the boy, thus causing him to finally slip out. In his overly sensitized state, just the feeling of Draco pulling out was enough to send little aftershocks down Harry's spine. He felt the evidence of Draco's orgasm begin to leak down his legs, but he was too drained to care.

Draco sighed in content, nuzzling the side of Harry's face once more. Harry looked over to him. His eyes were closed, heavy pants easing into light breaths. He felt Draco's hands trail up and down his skin, not exactly trying to arouse him, but just needing the feel of it. He was peaceful.

'Draco…' Harry moved, turning to lie on his side. He brought his hand up so that he could trace the angles of the boy's face. Fingers danced along cheekbones and eyebrows. He traced the bridge of Draco's nose and jawline. And when he finally moved to trace red, swollen lips, Draco's eyes fluttered open. He kissed the finger pressed against him before staring lovingly at Harry through hooded eyes. He smiled. _This_ is how Harry wanted to remember Draco forever. He wanted to remember him just like this, in this moment of bliss, calm in the afterglow, smiling at him with love in his eyes.

Harry smiled in return, wrapping his arms around the other boy and burying his face in his neck. He kissed the skin in front of him and with a soft sigh, he affirmed, "I love you, Draco."

And without a moment's hesitation, Draco whispered, "I love you too, Harry."

They fell asleep that way, naked, limbs wrapped around each other, the evidence of their lovemaking drying on their skin, their clothes strewn carelessly about them, and a forgotten pie sitting on the floor nearby.

Draco would eventually get another wish fulfilled that day. He would finally able to wake up before Harry, giving him a chance to study the sleeping boy in his arms. And when he would finally awake, he'd complain of the cold and the dried stains on his skin. They'd slip back into their clothes, Draco insisting on keeping a blushing Harry's boxers, Harry being too shy to ask for Draco's briefs. They'd try to fix themselves as best they could and chuckle about the pie on the floor. They'd leave the classroom, hand in hand, while the blonde teased the brunette about being commando. Draco would sneak Harry through the Slytherin common room and into his room where they would share a bath. They'd touch each other again, exploring every inch of skin with their lips and hands before getting any actual cleaning done. While getting dressed this time, Harry would insist on borrowing a smirking Draco's briefs, the blonde knowing his boy would have no intention of returning them. They'd slip away into the kitchens, finding out how hungry they actually were after their busy day. And finally, after all of that, they would find their friends and talk about everything and nothing, their hands joined the entire time.

But for now, caught in a bubble of pure love, they slept.

The End.

* * *

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Draco Malfoy.


End file.
